Kermode & Mayo’s Take - Miles Teller, Benediction, Emergency, The Innocents

Starting point is 00:00:00 So anyway, so anyway, what is up? What is he? You haven't done that for a while. No, listen, the thing is... They do it properly. Do it properly. Yeah, Mark. Yeah, Simon. I'm not sure I can get the right response from this. Ways up, what's up? What is... Actually up.

Starting point is 00:00:31 Is the problem that your mic isn't distorting in the way that you like it to do? That's right. Yeah, Simon. What is... Now you see, we've been told they like a hard start, which apparently is, apparently it's us going, Hi, I'm Simon Mayhem.

Starting point is 00:00:44 And I'm Mark Kermod. But child too gave me a very strict talking to. So really? She likes the was up business with pre-able nonsense. Hello, child too. How are you doing? So yeah, and she hasn't even subscribed yet. So, you know, she's definitely going to be subscribed.

Starting point is 00:01:01 Anyway, by the way, what's coming up in take one is, and I quote here from the Metro review of this podcast. Ooh, intellectual, informal and joyously reverent. This is top-door entertainment. I'm not sure that we can actually... Can I just read you this from the financial times? Oh, okay. Where Kermode brings the knowledge and passion,

Starting point is 00:01:22 Mayo brings a sense of calm and thoughtfulness that helps keep his opposite numbers more verbose moments in check. All of which is to say that Kermader Mayo's take is exactly, is exactly as you'd wish it to be. Is the thing, right? And I just want to say this in actual times.

Starting point is 00:01:38 Very, very, very, very, very, printed on yellow paper, so it must be serious. Pink paper. Is it pink? Salmon color, yeah. Light pink. It's a bit like the politics of the show really. Lightly salmon. Lightly salmon. Hardcore salmon. Actually that sounds very unhealthy. What's coming up on the show later? Oh, I've got it written down. This is the hard start. Now we've got a hard Okay, we've got the new horror-inflected film, The Innocence, Amazon Studios' emergency,

Starting point is 00:02:07 Jack Loudon in Benediction, and Ah-ha, The Movie. Why'd you say it like that? Well, it's like one of those bands names like The The. It's not possible to say Ah-ha in any way. Okay, and Ah-ha, The Movie. I was never sure whether it was The The. No, it's The The. It could be the the. No, no, no, it's definitely the the I know I always did say the the but why is it the the because it's a silly name

Starting point is 00:02:32 But it's a you know, it's a rock bands. I would quite like some of their music I just do wish they weren't called the the and we have a special guest. Oh, yes. That's right. That's Miles Teller Co-star of top gun Maverick are gonna're going to find out if he... I understand this. We're going to find out if he's rushing or dragging later in the show. Yeah, because that's... It's Wip Lush. Oh, okay, yes, okay.

Starting point is 00:02:51 Come on, get with the program. Well, you know, it was such a long time ago. Plus Mark's going to be recommending some streaming films available to watch right now in what apparently is called Take It Or Leave It. It will also have what is apparently called Physical Product of the Week. And of course, we'll run through the box office top 10, which features the top 10 at the box office

Starting point is 00:03:08 this week. Excellent. And as if that wasn't enough, on Monday, there'll be another take too, we'll be spoiling power of the dog as voted by thousands of you on Twitter. We'll have some extra miles teleconversation and doing a one frame back on first world War movies. And in a couple of weeks, Mark will be apparently adding tremendous value to our extra takes as we watch together some of the greatest cinematic creations of all time and supply you with a watch-along podcast. Just I'd say it's not just me who'll be doing that,

Starting point is 00:03:41 you and me together. Is there a demand for a watch-along podcast? I have no idea. Should we find out? I have no idea. I'm finding it painful. We're doing it in parts. We're not doing it one sitting.

Starting point is 00:03:51 We're doing it in parts. And that's because we're starting with Pirates of the Caribbean, the Curse of the Black Pearl. And basically what we do is we talk all the way. So we're basically doing it. We're doing it exactly the thing that we hate. Yeah, although we do the thing. We talk through the parts of the series.

Starting point is 00:04:03 No, there's no excuse for talking to films even if you don't like it, but we're doing exactly that thing. Apparently, you can choose the next one. Who, I can, apparently. Can I literally choose the next one? Although it can't be, it can't be Jeremy. No, it can't be that and it can't be exists. Exorcist. No, it can't be that.

Starting point is 00:04:20 It can be anything apart from that. Anything other than Jeremy and the Exorcist. Dougal and the Blue Cup. No, I've seen that. I don't want to watch that. I've seen Pirates of the Caribbean go to the white pearl. I'm not watching. That didn't get me off. I'm not watching do will again. But didn't get me off. That didn't get me off. Watching it again. It didn't get you off.

Starting point is 00:04:34 Goodness me. Anyway, you can email Corridor this. It's not going very badly. Well, correspondence at comedameo.com with your thoughts on the first Pirates film. You can subscribe to our extra takes on Apple podcasts to get all of that. Or if you prefer a different platform, head to extra takes.com. What kind of platform do you enjoy the most? Platform four. That's very good. Yes. Platform nine and three quarters always has a big queue next to it. Very good. But when people taking that thing, if you're already a subscriber, can I thank you very much on behalf of myself and Mark

Starting point is 00:05:08 for subscribing. Yes, thank you. Great stuff to come for you. The squad is growing, Mark. The Vanguard is advancing. Success is inevitable. The Vanguard is inevitable. Yes, they've grown a decent, anyway. I think it's all going quite well so far.

Starting point is 00:05:33 Last week Steve Davis, for not that one, wrote in whilst he was awaiting keyhole robotic surgery. Yes. And there was a discussion about whether it was that he was a robot or that the keyhole surgery was to be performed by robots. He had a bad kidney, if you remember from last week, Steve was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2020. So he's written back.

Starting point is 00:05:52 Fantastic. So the operations happened there. Well, let's find out. Steve says, hello again. You kindly read out my note last week regarding listening to your first-year podcast while sweating for robotic keyhole surgery to remove a cancerous kidney and mark, queried, what robotic and key-hole meant. Yes. Well, I'm one week out from surgery and

Starting point is 00:06:11 healing well. Good. The key-hole aspect is the reason for that. I didn't have to be opened up and the surgeon could carefully manipulate organs and excise my kidney, which is what you mean through a very small opening. But I was just thinking excise, very interesting word, because it also means tax. I was going to say excise, but in here obviously he does mean he's taxed his kidney, he means he's cut out the kidney. The robot is basically a machine with a few arms, with various instruments and cameras attached to go inside the patient. It's then operated by the surgeon, usually to one side of the operating theatre. They watch on a screen and control

Starting point is 00:06:50 all of the robot's motions with attachment to their fingers. The robot makes all the movements super smooth and precise. One of the advantages is the equivalent, it basically it's the equivalent of having multiple hands. Anyway, I'm hoping my operation means that I've seen the last of the cancer for a while, keep up the great work and hello to Jason. I just say, I'm sorry, I know I say this all the time, isn't medical science the most brilliant thing ever? It is, absolutely, and you can just imagine this.

Starting point is 00:07:17 It is like something out of a movie where you've got a surgeon who's operating that thing with his fingers while it's working, the machine is working, it's just astonishing. It's just, I'm so glad to hear that the operation's gone well and I'm so glad to hear that you're recovering well. And thank you for letting us know what robotic keyhole surgery was.

Starting point is 00:07:37 Because we're living in the future, we're living in a science fiction film. If you are one of those people who have operated this kind of equipment, maybe you operated on Steve or someone likes, you know, just someone with a kidney, or if you've performed kidney surgery or a botic surgery, or if you've performed any form of keyhole robotic surgery, I think we'd like to hear from you. Yes. Correspond, in fact, it's your duty, because if you, you know, you're listening to this correspondence at Kerminamau.com. If you've ever performed robotic keyhole surgery while listening to this podcast, probably keep it to yourself.

Starting point is 00:08:08 Ian Bancroft writes, from Shoront Maritim, which unsurprisingly is in France. It's on the Southwest coast. I figured it would be on the coast because it had Maritim. Correct. And that it was France because it is actually in French.

Starting point is 00:08:22 Well, it was your version of French. Thank you. Well, I think your version of French. Thank you. I think it was pretty good. How would you pronounce Shoront Maritime? Shoront Maritime. It was exactly the same apart from you put an N in the end as opposed to an M. Did I, okay.

Starting point is 00:08:36 However, so Ian says, dear take and take two, however, a point of order regarding episode two, you wouldn't play the clip from Gasponoté's new film because it's in French. But later on, you played a clip with no dialogue at all. This is true. Mark has rightly long been a champion of foreign language films. I appreciate not everyone would have understood or indeed any of what was being said in this excluded clip, but at least one could have had the chance to get a feel for the

Starting point is 00:09:06 pacing of the film, for its soundscape and so on. And we could feel a little bit more like part of a global community. So basically it's an argument for including clips in foreign language. You know, I think that's a perfectly valid point and actually I buy it. We'll give it a go. That's it. That was that was the quickest. What we need. What we need is our production team to actually then give us a translation. So what we need is the equivalent of subtitles. On that very subject, Ian signs off.

Starting point is 00:09:36 This is where you get slightly wrong. As the new franchise evolves, perhaps you might consider this approach. That's fine. Plus, your approach is uncomfortably reminiscent of the former guy's stance on parasite. So, he's basically equating us with Trump complaining about parasite getting the best movie where he said, quote, what the hell was that about? We got enough problems with South Korea, then they gave them the Oscar.

Starting point is 00:10:01 Let's get going with the wind. Can we get going with the wind back, please? Sunset Boulevard. So many great movies. Anyway, then afterwards I didn't know the distributor of Parasite. Then tweeted, his reaction was understandable. He can't read. There you go. So I think you make an interesting point about including foreign language clips. That's an interesting thing. We can try to translate.

Starting point is 00:10:23 And then you blow it by being deeply offensive. Absolutely nothing to do with Trump's complete lack of comprehension about any movies at all. Full stuff. Please don't ever mention our name in the same sentence as that. So TFG ever again. Yeah. So there you go.

Starting point is 00:10:41 So you did almost blow it there, Ian. Yeah. At the end. So correspondence at comelame you did almost blow it there, Ian. Yeah. At the end. So, correspondence at cummanamail.com, by the way, if you wish to join in, have you been able to find out whether people want to have foreign language clips? Because I think you certainly would certainly send in that gasp and no if you would get a feel for, in fact, there are vast periods when there is no spiritual talk. Yeah, and of course, there's no incidental music with the exception of that process,

Starting point is 00:11:06 I'd hear the beginning. The whole, the film is kind of distinguished by the fact that it's, it is just the ambience out of the room. So, but I'm, I'm perfectly up for it. On the subject of last week's streamers, we were talking about the Essex Serpent. Yes, Mr. Edelson was with us on our very, very first show, which you can still still do it. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And as we said last week is the only person we've ever seen who looks good when on a Zoom call. Even when putting his face right up against the candidate. His hair just fell in that way that no matter how many times we try it, it just wouldn't ever do that.

Starting point is 00:11:43 Well, presumably he has staff to make his hair perform later, probably. So Miles Teller, who's in a little bit later, he had hair and makeup. Oh, did he? Yeah, I mean, which is entirely appropriate. So on the Essex Serpent, Veronica Kaufman says, the Essex Serpent, Claire Daines was annoying. Brittle is pretty much the perfect one word description. I was worried she'd shatter into pieces at any minute. Did we use the word, Brittle?

Starting point is 00:12:10 I think we did. I think we did. Do we? Okay. In which case? Yeah. Veronica is quoting us. Otherwise, it was distracting. Tom Hiddleston was fab, but again, it's hard when one of the main characters is so highly strung.

Starting point is 00:12:22 I mean, I thought it started slow and then really found its feet around about episode three. And I did find that Claire Danes was brittle all the way through, but I remember you and I had said I thought that the beginning was a bit of a sticky start, but once it got going, once we get to the falling part of it, it's kind of it really picks up. But once you get the idea into your head that maybe with the greatest respect to everything that she's done for the Clare Danes is miscast, which I felt that she was, then kind of think it does, I mean, I agree with our correspondent, it kind of gets in the way. Yes, I agree with that. But beautiful. Yes, it looks absolutely amazing. And that's Clare Balas direction is really good.

Starting point is 00:13:03 A quick bit of what's on. This is our what's on feature. Okay, okay. I'm just gonna follow you. Oh, what's on world? Yeah, this is where you email us a voice note about your festival or special screening from wherever you are in the world.

Starting point is 00:13:17 American crew we want to hear from you. Australians, Irish, why don't we just say everyone? Kiwi, massive Canadians, German, Spanish. Name a country. France. Yes, the French. Name another country. Norway. Norway. We'd like to hear from the Norwegians. Name three other countries. Uh, Ukraine. Yes. Uh, Poland. Yes. Um, Spain. All of those. If you live in those countries, you're our special countries. Our special countries. It's amazingly difficult to just name countries when somebody just

Starting point is 00:13:44 says name countries suddenly. It's like, I, uh, I love man. Send us, they're not a country, are they? Well, well, well, well. So what you do is you send us a 22nd voice note and your special screening or festival will get a welcome boost. We are officially global, Mark. This is the people in white coats have shown us figures. Anyway, correspondence of kermetermayo.com. At this week, it's Jack from Homebrew, Sam from Flatpack and Louis from the Sci-Fi Festival all in the UK.

Starting point is 00:14:17 Here we go. Hi, Simon, hi, Mark. We just want to quickly talk about Homebrew. Based on Andover, it's a festival of short films from across the UK. The festival team has students from Andover College and it all takes place on 22nd May. Get your tickets at FilmFreeway.com forward slash Homebrew Filmfest forward slash tickets. We love to see you there.

Starting point is 00:14:35 Thank you. Hi Simon and Mark, my name's Sam. I'm the head of program for the Flatpack Festival in Birmingham taking place in various venues in the city from the 17th to the 22nd of May. It's an eclectic lineup of films and events celebrating the weird and wonderful chock full with funny moving and brilliant films of all shapes and sizes including a BAFTA qualifying short film competition, lots of live scores and various special guests. Hello Simon and Mark, this is Louis Savvy, founder and festival director of the Sci-Fi London Film Festival.

Starting point is 00:15:08 We are running from Thursday 19th to Sunday 22nd of May at the pitch house in Stratford. We have 15 world premieres. We have 13 UK premieres. We got films from all over the world. We're going to blow people's minds as the Guardian said, sci-fi London is where what if meets what the f***. All right, I thought he was going to go on. I feel as though we cut him off. And he was just getting going. He had so much more to say to me, Louis, from the sci-fi festival. I think he probably could have entertained us for many years with that. He was short and to the point. Well, he was once he'd been edited, I suspect.

Starting point is 00:15:49 Anyway, Jack and Sam and Louis, thank you very much. Indeed, if you'd like your voice note broadcast to the world, correspondents at Kermann and Mayo.com. Still to come. I'll be reviewing the new horror-inflicted film, The Innocence, and Jack Loudon in Benedictine, which is the new horror-inflicted film The Innocence and Jack Loudon in Benediction, which is the new Terrence Davis film.

Starting point is 00:16:07 And... Aha! The Movie. Hi, esteemed podcast listeners, Simon Mayo. I'm Mark Kermot here. I'm excited to let you know that the new season of the Crown and the Crown, the official podcast, returns on 16th of November to accompany the sixth and final season of the Netflix epic royal drama series. Very exciting, especially because SuperSub and Friend of the Show Edith Bowman hosts this one.

Starting point is 00:16:38 Indeed, Edith will take you behind the scenes, dive into conversation with the talented cast and crew, from writer and creator Peter Morgan to the crowns Queen Elizabeth in Melda Staunton. Other guests on the new series include the Crowns research team, the directors, executive producers Suzanne Mackie and specialists such as voice coach William Connaker and props master Owen Harrison. Cast members including Jonathan Price, Selim Dor, Khalid Abdullah, Dominic West and Elizabeth the Bikki.

Starting point is 00:17:03 You can also catch up with the story so far by searching the Crown, the official podcast, wherever you get your podcast. Subscribe now and get the new series of the Crown, the official podcast, first on November 16th. Available wherever you get your podcasts. Happy Nord Christmas. Protect yourself whilst Christmas shopping online and access all the Christmas films from around the globe.

Starting point is 00:17:23 Plus, when you shop online, you'll have to give websites your card details and other sensitive data like your personal addresses. Those websites should already have their own encryption built into their payment systems, but to be on the safe side, you can use a VPN to ensure that all data coming to and from your device is encrypted. Even if you're using an unsafe Wi-Fi, you'll still be able to shop securely with a VPN. And you can access Christmas films only available overseas by using streaming services not available in the UK. To take our huge discount of your NordVPN plan, go to NordVPN.com slash take. Our link will also give you four extra months for free on the two-year plan.

Starting point is 00:18:03 There's no risk with Nord's 30-day money bank guarantee. The link is in the podcast episode description box. Okay, welcome back. Can I just say before you do the review of emergency, when you say horror and inflected presumably, because you've said that twice, super assuming you mean, it's not actual horror, but it's got little kind of overtones, undertones.

Starting point is 00:18:26 It's undercurrents. No, I mean, it's horror film, but it's a kind of interesting. I just, when I do the review, I'll explain to you what I mean by that, okay, so. Okay, so stay with us for that. Tell us about emergency, here we go. Yes, so emergency is a film,

Starting point is 00:18:43 the tagline for which says, it's not what it looks like. It's the new film by Kerry Williams, who made the social media era Romeo and Juliet thing, our hashtag J from a script by Katie DeVilleau. So what does it look like? Well, it looks like a frat house comedy in which best friends Kunlenshaw and I are up for an epic night of spring break partying to become the first black members oforn are up for an epic night of spring break partying to become the first black members of their college to complete an epic, which is a troll through seven parties in one night. Shorn is the more outgoing up-fit party. Animal Kuhnlann is buttoned down. He's worried about these cultures that he's been growing as part of

Starting point is 00:19:18 an experiment that will secure him a place at Princeton. And they have to be in the fridge because if they're not in the fridge, then bad things will happen. Carlos is the roommate who seems to spend his whole life glued to a video screen and therefore they're not worried about the fact that they haven't got a magical ticket because he's not going to notice because he's going to be stuck to the video screen. So so far, so animal house, you know, seven parties, you know, massive, blah, blah, blah, blah. Then after leaving the fridge door open, couldn't they realize that they have to go back to the house because he's worried about his cultures and when they get back to the house, they discover that Carlos has left the fridge door open, couldn't they realize that they have to go back to the house because he's worried about his cultures? And when they get back to the house,

Starting point is 00:19:47 they discover that Carlos has left the front door open, and there is an unknown white girl unconscious on the living room floor. Couldn't they once called 911? Sean says, no. What will the police think? So instead, they decide to put a unconscious into a car and take us somewhere safe, Instead, they decide to put an unconscious into a car

Starting point is 00:20:05 and take us somewhere safe, although where, whether it's to a party or to a hospital, seems to be unclear. Meanwhile, in another part of the plot, the girl's sister and friends have started to realize that she's missing his clip. Alice, can you see that, Ma? No, no, just do you got it.

Starting point is 00:20:22 Okay, we can see how it's not there. Turn this thing. Yeah. Mm. Oh. Oh. Just like call her or something. I called her Alice Not Initiate.

Starting point is 00:20:35 OK, cheese. OK, you OK? Just put me down. Did you see that happening? Do you see it playing out on the screen? No, I, to be honest, I'd forgotten that there were pictures. I was just listening to the sound. Okay.

Starting point is 00:20:49 What should I have noticed? Well, no, there was just one person was talking to another person at a party. He was sitting on the shoulders of something. I did see that just to be honest. We saw that, okay, just in case nobody understood it. This is kind of Mark explains the clips. Anyway, so she says, I don't know where my sister's gone.

Starting point is 00:21:01 We have to try and find her. They discover that they have a phone that can track her phone and they realise that she is in a car that is driving off with her. Okay? So in the press release it says, what insuuses a chaotic hilarious and tension-filled chase all over town as our trio grapple with their differences while attempting to bring Emma to safety. Chaotic hilarious and tension-filled. Is it? The thing is, somewhere in the middle of this, there is a Jordan Peel style kind of satirical horror parable about police brutality and the underlying racism of apparently liberal white middle class society. At one point, the trio end up in a suburban street in which they basically run off the street by a couple

Starting point is 00:21:43 who just imagine that they're drug dealers. And, despite that, they have a Black Lives Matter sign on their lawn. It's like, yes, but not here, not in our street. The problem is, although the film is kind of designed to wrong foot the audience, there's a clash between the comedy and the growing, and it is horror, that ends up undercutting both of them. So it starts out as a kind of frappe boy comedy, then they're suddenly faced with this. What are we gonna do because if the police turn up,

Starting point is 00:22:12 what will the police assume? And then okay, fine, so let's put her in a car and take her somewhere else, but now her sister thinks she's been kidnapped and she's still unconscious. And the film has this weird tension in it that it's the stuff that I mean there are a couple of moments in it. There's one sort of moment like a loss of innocence moment which is really well done and really kind of French is a shot of somebody's

Starting point is 00:22:35 face as they realize that the world has changed forever and it's really well done but it seems to be from a different film. Now it was interesting to discover that this was expanded from a 2018 short that won prizes at Sundance and South by Southwest. And the feature script was on the 2020 Blacklist, which is the list of most popular unproduced scripts. I have the feeling that this would have worked better as a short film, because I think as a short film, you might have been able to sustain that awkward tension between the warring elements. I think at feature length it doesn't work. That is not to say that there aren't interesting things in it. It's certainly a more interesting

Starting point is 00:23:15 film than I thought it was going to be. We're going to talk about the multiverse in a moment. Yes, because it's inescapable and we did ask about people explaining the multiverse. But first, Mark Avocados. We do. We do. You have an email from Jeff who's in the Bronx. Right. Okay. I didn't know.

Starting point is 00:23:32 We've got listeners in the Bronx. I think that's a cool thing. Yes. And we were to that is that Bronx. There was another Bronx somewhere else. I don't think, is there another Bronx? Yeah. I think that, no, is it that, so North.

Starting point is 00:23:41 North. North, yeah. The Northfoot Bronx. Jeff in the Northfoot Bronx. I would like to publicly lend support to Simon's verdict on artichokes. It's not to be eaten as it's a plant with, however, what are your respective thoughts on the avocado? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

Starting point is 00:23:59 it is the proposed symbol with toast of my generation's moral decline and wasteful outlook. Admittedly, avocados are fruits, but like the aforementioned heirloom tomato aren't often considered as such. Well, I'm a big fan of the avocado. It is the health food de jour. If you can only one food for the rest of your life, it should probably be the avocado because it's really good for you. It has healthy carbohydrates and tastes great with a little bit of chili jam on toast. Mark, we're now telling you that it's a

Starting point is 00:24:31 bad thing. The bad thing, and the main problem with avocado is it can't decide what texture it is and therefore, texture is horrible. It's a fruit, too. That's not a texture. That's like a genus, that's not a texture. That's like a, you know, There's nothing more awkward than a food stuff that doesn't know what it is. What you mean is you don't like it. It's not just that I don't like it. I actually, unless it's made up in guacamole

Starting point is 00:25:15 with an awful lot of something very stringent that cuts through and makes it, you know, makes it sour, that's fine. But actually avocado is I would run, I feel the same way about avocados I do about cum quats, I just know. No, no, no, no, that's fine. But actually avocado is I would run, I feel the same way about avocados, I do that comquats, I just know, no, no, no, no, no, no. This episode is brought to you by Mooby, a curated streaming service dedicated to

Starting point is 00:25:39 elevating great cinema from around the globe. From my connect directors to emerging otters, there's always something new to discover, for example. Well, for example, the new Aki Karri's Macchi film Fall and Leaves, which won the jury prize it can, that's in cinemas at the moment. And if you see that and think I want to know more about Aki Karri's Macchi, you can go to movie The Streaming Service and there is a retrospective of his films called How to Be a Human. They are also going to be theatrical releasing In January Priscilla, which is a new Sophia Coppola film, which I am really looking forward to since I have an Elvis

Starting point is 00:26:08 obsession. You could try Mooby Free for 30 days at Mooby.com slash Kermed and Mayo. That's M-U-B-I dot com slash Kermed and Mayo for a whole month of great cinema for free. So on multiverses, now this has come out just because so many films are resorting to the multiverse as a way of telling the story. And we did ask a multitude of multiplex multiverses exactly. And so we have been inundated with people explaining the multiverse. Okay. Quite what our tolerance level is for explanation. We're about, I'm going to about to test it. Okay.

Starting point is 00:26:50 All right. Tommy Hicks says, Hello Tommy. That is the real name of Tommy Steele. Tommy Hicks. I think that's right. Our top production team will check that out. Okay.

Starting point is 00:27:00 I think that's right. The multiverse concept is that every single decision splits the universe into separate branches. For example, you flip a coin in one universe it lands on heads in another it lands on tails. Obviously you can't see both outcomes at once as your consciousness only exists in one universe and you can't see the others. Since this applies to every choice you ever make in your life and every choice anything has ever made ever like the avocado deciding to be difficult, there is a near infinite number of universes with various different events happening. and every choice anything has ever made ever, like the avocado deciding to be difficult,

Starting point is 00:27:25 there is a near infinite number of universities with various different events happening. There's not near infinite, it is infinite. I mean, this point of course is clearly preposterous. Okay, so correspondence at kermetermayo.com, we have our very own box office top 10 now, and we take the UK and Ireland box office chart and sprinkle on a little bit of international star dust,

Starting point is 00:27:50 which leads, we'll also tell you where a film is in the US and Canada and Australia and Spain and Ukraine and all the other countries that Mark mentioned earlier. So in the top 10 number 24, the drover's wife, Michael says, for the longest time, this felt a lot like a film that was doing the exact opposite of what it purported to be doing. For the first two thirds of the drover's wife, it seemed that Molly Johnson was a character defined by the male presences around her, not as a shining light who strongly defied them at every turn, but the final act is truly magnificent. Isn't it? Heartbreaking and fist pumping all in one. Yeah, very good. I recommend it fairly highly. Oh good. That's D Jones' Wife at 24. Which I liked very much. Now, I think that's actually an interesting summary

Starting point is 00:28:27 that it looks like one kind of film and then it turns into another kind of film. I really love the score as well. And I thought it looked really terrific. It's really low budget. Michael Watkins on Vortex, which is at 21. I found this a frustrating watch, mostly because of the pacing,

Starting point is 00:28:43 as there are a number of scenes that grind the whole film to a complete halt. It just repeatedly takes the wind out of its own sales, making it difficult to get all that invested, as someone who has had to watch my mother go through this most devastating process. So this is, last week we're talking to Gaspett, Norway, and we're talking about the couple in this film and the wife in the film has dementia. Someone who has said to watch my mother go through this most devastating process with her own mother over the last decade as the memories and the recognition between mother and daughter

Starting point is 00:29:14 grew dimmer. I'm also aware of the real world arc that this story often takes and I have great sympathy for the element of Gaspanoi's personal life that inspired the picture which he talked about last week. But I did feel an insurmountable disconnect with it. It's a film I admire greatly and boast wonderful technical skill and performances from its cast, but Vortex just left me cold. Okay. I mean, it didn't leave me cold. When we were talking to Gaspon, I think it's apparent that a huge number of people have experience of the circumstance in the film because obviously a huge number of people have relatives and loved ones who have dealt with dementia Alzheimer's.

Starting point is 00:29:54 I thought that it was powerfully done. Number 14 is the Quiet Girl. Brendan Farrell chips in. He just saw it at the Irish Film Institute on Friday with a Q&A afterwards, beautifully observed, effortlessly, simply, profoundly moving if it doesn't tug at your heart, you're not human. I just think it's fantastic. I thought it's absolutely wonderful. And you nothing about it before I went in to see it. It's based on a story that I hadn't read. It's a directorial feature debut. And it's just, it's so perfectly pitched.

Starting point is 00:30:27 Quite a good list number 14. At 10, into the 10 then, a Sakura Vary parter. Yeah, so this is the beginning of a trio of films that I haven't seen. This Firestarter and Fantastic Beasts Firestarter wasn't press-credits. I don't believe this was either. Fantastic Beasts was, but we were off.

Starting point is 00:30:40 So I'll just step back and let the audience take it. Well, I haven't got anything on Sakura very part. If you've seen it for next week, we'd love to hear your review, correspondence at curbidermayon.com. Firestarter is interesting that because in the US, it's number four, it's nine here. Why are they not press screeners, Stephen King adaptation? That seems nuts. Who knows? I haven't seen it, so I don't know. Firestarter, twisted firestarter.

Starting point is 00:31:03 Anyway, fantastic beast, secrets of Dumbledore. Number six instarter, twisted firestarter. Anyway, fantastic beast, Secrets of Dumbledore. Number six in America, number eight here. Jake says, I simultaneously want to hear Mark eviscerate the Secrets of Dumbledore and also protect him from having to see it. None of the joy of being in a magical world, barely a dribble of emotional connection, despite a sweeping score, insisting you feel something at each profound moment and riddled with contrivances, conveniences, and a condescending dumbledore who sincerely says,

Starting point is 00:31:32 I can't think of anyone who deserves anything more when referring to a pretty stick. This felt like a magical heist movie by three writers who hadn't spoken to each other since agreeing on the title. Which is very good. Jake, I like that. Thank you very much indeed. Seven is the bad guys. Which is kind of okay. I mean, it's weird that it starts out with a long crept in Tarantino Riff, but it's kind of okay. And number two in America. And number eight in the States. Number six here, the lost city. See, still, I haven't caught up with this because you said, it's all right. Five, a little mix live, the final show for now Mark, what did you make of little mix live? Yeah, well it'll be no surprise to learn Simon that I wasn't there. Well you're not. No. Could you not go and... No. No. Not on my

Starting point is 00:32:16 remit. I mean I'm little mix, I'm sure fabulous. A Sonic the Hedgehog 2's a number four. Everything everywhere all at once. Number five in the states. Number three here. So Brian, Christie, can I say, if you're corresponding on this, if you use the shorthand, e.e.a.0, it's fine for typing, but yeah, it's not a useful acronym slash initialization. Okay, everything everywhere all at once says Brian is too long. The performance is a great, but the director seemed to have developed an idea and decided

Starting point is 00:32:47 to flog it to death. I hadn't fallen asleep in the cinema since Batman and Robin. Everything boringly all over the place has now replaced it says Brian, clearly pleased with his quip. Craig says, has more heart than a tube of swizzle sherbet sweet. And here's an understatement, more laughs than 2020 and 2021 combined. A delightful cinematic experience and film of the year so far for me.

Starting point is 00:33:12 I mean, if I was gonna pick any holds at all, I'd say it's a little baggy and a little over long. But frankly, when you have this much wit and invention in a movie that costs $25 million up against what's number one, which costs $200 million. You go, okay, that's, I mean, no wonder, Jamie Lee Curtis is picking fights on social media with Marvel going, oh, look, here we are. You know, we're giving you a run for your money. If you just take it as this is an independent movie made with a comparatively small budget, punching

Starting point is 00:33:41 so far above its weight, the few things that are wrong with it really don't matter. But they explain the multiverse in a lift. Pretty much. Okay. We haven't got that to play you, but I can read you this from Tony Potts. Okay. Tony says, I am a physicist, a proper one who worked at Surn, so would like to explain the

Starting point is 00:34:01 physicist take on the multiverse. It's Surn, the large Hadron Collu, but yeah, that's the one. They know what they're doing. Exactly right. But didn't they turn it on and then turn it off and then service it for a year? Yeah, but you know, they need a lot of servicing. Yeah, they had a lot of people there who could do the servicing, but it's now working and humming away, strumming away, in fact.

Starting point is 00:34:21 So this is what Tony says. Okay. So see if you get this. Here it goes. Ready? Yeah. Okay. Coming in three. We know that while we aren't looking at a fundamental particle such as an electron. Already, I'm going to say. Can you read that again Simon? We know that while we aren't looking at a fundamental particle such as an electron. Yeah. That it's genuinely in several places at once. This isn't some kind of metaphor, it's really how the universe works.

Starting point is 00:34:47 When we do look, it appears in only one of the possible places. It stops being spread out as a result of being looked at. Okay? This is strange, we do not know how it happens, you think. Thank you, so far. So you work at Sun, but the answer is... Hello. There are two popular models that try to say what's going on. One, the objective collapse model that says it just collapses from all the possibilities into one, while the other, the many worlds model, says that every possibility does actually happen with the universe splitting into many universes, each of which contains one of the possible outcomes.

Starting point is 00:35:28 And then Tony adds, there is no way to tell if either model is true. You think. Absolutely right. Anyway. Can I just say? Yes. Basically, what the gentleman that works at Sun

Starting point is 00:35:40 is saying is that the thing that they were looking at, that you're not looking at, the thing at the beginning in the first stage is the electron. OK, well, he at, that you're not looking at, the thing at the beginning in the first say, the electron. Okay, well he said, while we're not looking at the electron, yeah, fine, it can exist in a million different ways, yeah? Okay, and then when we look at it, it's in one way, okay? Then we look away a million different ways and we look at it in one way.

Starting point is 00:35:58 Or it's just one way and you're imagining the other stuff. Well, there's no way to tell if either model is true. Okay, so this is why I think, this is why, this is a log of editing. This is why I think it sounds more like a religion because it helps to explain a way of looking at the world. Yes, rather than any pretty. It is an explanation of a way of looking at the world

Starting point is 00:36:18 rather than actually being true. But it provides movie makers with a number of ways of telling stories. Of course, because it won't, you know, Bob Bobby Ewing can come out of the shower. There you go. Because you've been in the universe of dreams for the last three series. Down to Naby, a new era is at number two, you know. If I wanted to watch singing in the rain, I'd watch singing in the rain.

Starting point is 00:36:37 Okay. And number one is Dr. Strange in the movie. That's a lot of, that's a lot of, that's a madness. And some a time says, Mark mostly missed the point that Sam Raimi didn't watch the previous MCU films or Olsen's Wondervision. The film is like a book where the film didn't write the script. No, but he didn't watch them. No, but he didn't write the script.

Starting point is 00:36:57 So it doesn't mean that the script. The film is like a book where the latest chapter is written by someone who didn't read the previous chapter. No, it's not because the script. The one who did read the previous chapters, your one thing if the current chapter is written by someone who didn't read the previous chapter. No, it's not because the scrim one who did read the previous chapters, your wondering if the current author is suffering from ADD, the film is a disaster. Yeah, no, that's not true. And the reason it's not true is whether or not Sam Raimi watched any of the other films, the writer did, or at least one assumes the writer did.

Starting point is 00:37:24 Okay, so still to come, Mark is gonna be reviewing these films and what we're not calling film adjacent television. Yeah, so I'll be talking about the innocence, which is a really interesting film. I'll be talking about the benediction, which is the new film by Terence Davis, and Ahar the movie, which is a documentary,

Starting point is 00:37:40 which tells you everything you never wanted to know about Ahar, but was scared the documentary was going to tell you anyway. Well, yes, also I'll chat with Miles Teller because he's one of the stars of Top Gunn He is. He is. Which I haven't seen yet, but you have. Oh, yes. Are you allowed to review it?

Starting point is 00:37:54 In gesture or through the medium of modern dance? Well, I think you are because, yes, I think I would give it five stars. I think it was. Wow. I thought it was fantastic. Wow, okay. Fine. Wow. Very enjoyable. You don't need me anymore, that's great, okay, cool.

Starting point is 00:38:06 It's the always excellent ads in a moment, unless of course you're listening as a subscriber, in which case it's ad-free, but hey, Mark, first I just wanted to tell you about how my week went. Third floor, underwear, laundry and toys. Going up. Exactly. Yeah, laundry and toys. I know, I don't know what. They don't really go together, although they do in some stores.

Starting point is 00:38:35 Just, just around the corner. He's chatting family show. I know he's a family show. That's what I, I don't know what he was thinking at home. Anyway, I've watched a few classic Jean-Coon Doe move his mark. Okay. You know, the martial arts philosophy of Bruce Lee.

Starting point is 00:38:58 Anyway, starring the one and only Bruce Lee, he was so fast, Mark. Not unbelievably, but unbelievably, not as fast as his long, long, much brother, sudden. Not unbelievably, but unbelievably. Not as fast as his long, long, long, long, sudden. Did I do that well? No.

Starting point is 00:39:10 That's terrible. Just terrible. I'd say go back and do it again, but I think you probably shouldn't. Bruce Lee's brother, so. It's sudden. Yeah, yeah, okay. Anyway, those very high winds we had this week,

Starting point is 00:39:23 did they reach you down in Narnia? No, we had a terrible time in the showbiz Norslander. Gail Force, the storm blue, a quarter of our roof away. Oof. As a written joke. That's really good. I have to perform this stuff. Not sure if you've had your grueling induction yet

Starting point is 00:39:44 with the performance mentors, Mark, if you had that. No, the performance mentors, it's pretty hard call. They asked if I could perform under pressure. I said no, but I'll give Bohemian Rhapsody a go after a ball of chap. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no Okay, time for our special guest. He's one of the stars of Top Gun Maverick alongside Tom Cruz. You might know him from Whiplash, Footloose, Divergent and Fantastic Four, aka Four. It is of course Miles Teller. Miles came into the studio earlier this week to talk about Top Gun Maverick. You'll hear my interview with him after this clip, which includes Miles and his co-star. Why did you stand him my way?

Starting point is 00:40:31 You weren't ready. Ready for what? Huh? It's ready to fly like you? No. Ready to forget the book. Trust your instincts. Don't think.

Starting point is 00:40:41 Just do. You think up there, you're dead. Believe me. My dad believed in you. I'm not gonna make the same mistake. It's a clip from Top Gun Maverick Miles Telegun, toe-to-toe with Tom Cruise. Miles, how you doing? I'm doing well. Thanks for asking. It's very good to see. How long ago did you film that? We started filming four years ago, so that scene was probably close to four years ago and then we finished three years ago.

Starting point is 00:41:08 Which I mean, obviously everyone understands the reason why, but even giving the delay between filming and ending promotion for a film at must feel like an eternity ago. It does. But also, I mean, the production on this one was especially long. It was about, it was really, yeah, about a year.

Starting point is 00:41:27 And so, yeah, I mean, it does feel, feel like a long time ago, but I'm certainly happy that it's coming out. Yeah. It's the most fun I've had in a cinema for a very long time. Everything, this is not a question, this is just like a statement. I think everything that the film set out to achieve, it achieves, I think everything that the film set out to achieve, it achieves, you know, and then some. So I thought it was absolutely terrific. Fun, tell us about the story without spoiling it and tell us about your character. Sure. So the movie takes place 30 some years later after the original. It's kind of as much time has passed in real life. That's much time has passed in our story.

Starting point is 00:42:01 And it opens with Maverick and you see where Maverick is 30 some years later and then he Has a meeting with Ed Harris and kind of get some some orders and Those orders involve dealing with a group of new pilots which I'm a part of We're already top-gun graduates. We're kind of the best of the best or so we think and we know that we've been called in for a new mission that we kind of need to try out for it and Maverick will be a big part of that and who is Ruster? So Ruster is the son of Goose. In the original, he makes a bit of a cameo, they put me on top of the piano for Grape Balls of Fire. His name is Bradley Bradshaw. Yeah, that's rooster. It's fantastically set up. I think this film will cause a number of problems for men who are

Starting point is 00:42:55 turning 60 this year, because Tom turns 60 in the summer in July. He just looks incredible. I know. I know. He's certainly not somebody want to kind of compare yourself to. I think in so many different, in so many different ways. He just, I mean, even working with the guy, I mean, I'm sure he sleeps up. Never, I've never seen it or seen him tired. And I don't know. He just, he just has another, he's got another gear. So that famous work ethic that we read about and hear about with Tom Cruise,

Starting point is 00:43:31 and we know he's very handsome producer and he's a producer on this film. That's the way it is. That's sort of, he's 100% involved. Oh, and working with him, everybody I think in this business that has heard some Tom Cruise stories and his work ethic

Starting point is 00:43:45 is unrivaled, but being able to see it in person, it's not just about him and what he needs to do on a film. He is so dialed in to every aspect of filmmaking. He really does know how to do everybody's job. He knows everybody's name on set. He's the first one there, last one to leave. Yeah, I mean, he elevates everybody around him because he is just putting so much time into it. I mean, the script, everything. Is that rare in your experience? Oh, yeah. I mean, it's not rare that you'll have people, you know, kind of putting in as, you know,

Starting point is 00:44:22 as much time as they think is possible. But I would just say Tom uses as many of those 24 hours in a day, I think that is humanly possible. Did he explain to you why he chose you? Because it was, I think, if I've read this right, you were his choice. So the director Joseph Kaczynski I'd worked with on a film that was called Only the Brave. I'm not sure what the title changes sometimes.

Starting point is 00:44:48 We had it as Only the Brave and he did Oblivion with Tom. Right. He did Oblivion with Tom and so Joe told me that he had a meeting with Tom many years ago. And after Oblivion and he met Tom in Paris and they kind of started to explore a sequel to Top Gun and what that might be and talking about the son of Goose and that's kind of the through line narrative piece

Starting point is 00:45:14 for the film and he brought him a picture of me and we had just worked together and I think that set me on a good path. I still had the audition for it, but I think the fact that I look like I could be Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan's kid, I think that helped me out a good amount. What did you have to do for the audition?

Starting point is 00:45:32 So I flew down to Me with Tom and Jerry Brockheimer and Joseph Kaczynski and I think there were two scenes. It was that scene you showed, but before that, I had to do the scene where I walk into the bar, which is one of my least favorite notes ever or descriptions. They're like, rooster walks into the bar, he's the man. But nobody else is there, so I'm like, pantomiming, doing high fives and having conversations with people that aren't there.

Starting point is 00:45:59 And then it leads up to me having to sit down at the piano and play and sing great balls of fire. And obviously I didn't know the song at that point, but I had to act like I was playing and singing. And it was, yeah, it was also a couple hours. It was the longest kind of audition that I'd ever had. And Tom and I really, you know, really workshop the scenes. What is it like to workshop a scene with Tom Cruise?

Starting point is 00:46:19 I mean, knowing that so much is at stake, will you scan? It's interesting, because I tend to visualize things before it happens so that when I'm there, I feel like I've kind of been there before. And I was not, when I was thinking about meeting Tom and working with Tom, I really wasn't that nervous. And when I met him, he is, he's incredibly disarming. But there were two other guys who auditioned for the part

Starting point is 00:46:42 and we all kind of shared notes afterwards about what the process was like. And I thought it was unique to me that Tom would do a line and be like, hey, you know, Kimmy or I have an idea, and apparently he did that for all the other guys as well. What training did you have to go through? Because I mean, you've played a firefighter, you played a vet as well, so you're not a stranger to this, but what did they put you through? So Tom developed a pretty intensive flight training program for us. And of course he did as Tom does.

Starting point is 00:47:12 And it was the way we started, it was the same thing you would, how you would start if you were trying to get your pilots license. So you go up and assess and you kind of do a basic, you know, kind of fly around and and then you're learning the controls of the aircraft and what the pilots, you know, if they're doing and then it escalated pretty quickly and Tom knew that we needed to be as comfortable as we could

Starting point is 00:47:36 in the fighter jets and a lot of that comes down to G tolerance. So we were starting to do aerobatic maneuvers and and pulling a lot of Gs because the filming of this was I mean to have a bunch of civilians up in fighter jets with the best pilots in the world and and rip it around and Being as comfortable as we could was was really imperative for that. I think the singular point Which makes the film a tribe if you had to pull it down to one thing Is the is the feeling that you get watching the movie, the sheer physicality of flying. And that we really feel it when you feel it. I have flown once in an RAF fighter jet and I had a G suit on. So I

Starting point is 00:48:19 felt it tightened. We had those as well. All right. And I was supposed to broadcast on the radio for the 30 minutes of the flight. I was sick for the entire flight. Oh my gosh. And I couldn't do anything. So it was a complete disaster. We were doing that as well and having to act while we're doing all these G forces and things as well.

Starting point is 00:48:38 How much of what we see then is you actually in these fighter, the whole, and how much of it is then added on? Now pretty much the 99.9%. There were some things that we maybe a close up here or there that we picked up just because we had to modify the camera. We wanted a different shot than what we were able to get

Starting point is 00:49:00 in the cockpit, but some things I think look like CGI, but it's not, that's just kind of how technology had advanced in our cinematographer. They didn't think he'd be able to get one camera in the cockpit and we got six in there. But no, it's all practical. And that was a big component for Tom with making a sequel.

Starting point is 00:49:18 He wanted to make sure technology had kind of caught up. It seems incredible that you can act. I mean, never mind just surviving in this. But you know, the pilots have it easy. They just have to fly the thing. You have to act. I mean, was that difficult? Or is that actually formal straight forward when you, there's not much face acting you could do? I think it was, there was so many elements that we were dealing with. So once we got up in the air, we couldn't talk to anybody at base camp, but we couldn't talk to the director, the only person we could talk to was the pilot, and we were having to kind

Starting point is 00:49:47 of control our own cameras, start and stop camera. You would need to make sure that your eye lines and everything that matched, you would need to make sure the lighting was the same as the guys who went up earlier, but also you need to act like you're flying the jet as well, so you need to be perfectly in sync with the pilot and really understand what you're doing. And so there were just so many things that you were dealing with as you're going, you know, 500 knots, a hundred feet above the ground into a canyon where the walls of the canyon

Starting point is 00:50:14 are less than a hundred feet off each wingtip. That was kind of a czar when you're going in and there's trees that are taller than you and you're going so incredibly fast. In the clip that we heard at the Star of our Conversation, we're Tom Cruise and he said, a line that comes up a number of times, don't think, just do. And I understand what he's getting at because it's like, feel the force. And it's like, it's down to instinct.

Starting point is 00:50:39 But I would have thought, absolutely, these guys, and I'm thinking more of just financial, the actual pilots, thinking must be like 95% of it, because you've got so much hardware, part of it is being a pilot, but also you've got to be a computer nerd as well to run this thing. I mean, that's a good point, and I was surprised,

Starting point is 00:51:00 because I have a lot of bodies that are active duty right now in different branches, army, marine, and navy. So, I've felt a bit of that provotto with those guys and with these pilots once we went down to Top Gun, that was really the thing that struck me the most is just how incredibly cerebral that these men and women are. It really comes down to understanding the aircraft. That's what separates a top-gun pilot between a regular fighter pilot, really, is the

Starting point is 00:51:29 understanding that you have over the aircraft. Just finally, so that's all the high tech, the incredible cutting-edge technology that is there in the film. Is it true, though, that, and this, I think, was doing a lockdown, there were some dialogue pickups that you had to do, which you went into like a cupboard in your house and spoke into your laptop. I mean, this is quite reassuring, I think, but is this true?

Starting point is 00:51:52 Tom went through great efforts to make sure that if there were, you know, if food was being delivered, maybe a microphone could get delivered. You know, and so just making sure that we, even though there was a pandemic that we were doing everything we could to, you know, button up this film. And so, yeah, I ended up doing some in my closet, and it ended up in the movie. So I was, I was just like, I don't know, which is the dialogue that's in, oh, I don't know, it's probably just something that I'm saying into my mask.

Starting point is 00:52:23 You know, come on, come on. Where's that laser? Oh, they're okay. Yeah. So when we hear that, that's the bit that we know that Miles is actually in his closet. I mean, I did more hours of ADR on this film than I've probably spent filming entire movies.

Starting point is 00:52:38 It's, and I think it's been said now, we captured more footage than all three Lord of the Rings movies combined. Wow. Yeah. It must be an enormous relief having filmed it such a long time ago that it's now actually out there and people are going, wow, five stars. Absolutely. I mean, it's certainly the, because I think so many people base their decision on whether they're going to go see something based on a certain score, a certain aggregate, which I think is unfortunate.

Starting point is 00:53:06 I don't think movies are meant to be kind of treated like consumer reports, but yeah, it is nice that Tom said the analogy he would use for us, for this movie to work, he said, we're trying to hit a bullet with a bullet to make us equal to Top Gun 30 some years later and to have it, you know, pay homage to to the first one but also stand on its own and to be satisfying for for the fans and everybody is was you know going to be incredibly precise. So it does feel really good that we we do feel like we've we've accomplished that. Mars Tata thank you very much for coming in and appreciate it very much. Thank you. We had some listeners questions for miles, so subscribers can get that on take two more conversations with Miles Teller when take two lands. Just, and I know you haven't seen it yet, Mark, so you're looking forward to it, man.

Starting point is 00:53:56 You're going to review it next week. Yes, next week, yes. But, well, look for the titles, because when the film starts and it's great right from the very beginning, the first name I saw was Miles Teller, and I film starts and it's great right from the very beginning, the first name I saw was Miles Teller and I was thinking, he's Tom Cruise so famous that he's now not actually, his name doesn't appear anywhere. And I asked Miles just before we started recording and he said, no, what happens, and you'll see it now because I'm pointing out, his name comes above the title. So it says Tom Cruise in Top Gun Maverick. Which is not, that doesn't happen very often, does it?

Starting point is 00:54:26 Where the star actually, their name appears before the title. I mean, I'm just, I mean, I'm inclined to think that it must have happened with Schwarzenegger. Maybe still. But I, you know, I, yeah, I, there was always a thing in Sight & Sound magazine that the title of a movie had to be exactly as it appeared on screen. And there was always the issue about, well, what would you do if on screen there was other stuff?

Starting point is 00:54:49 And that's why, thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell you this, Slade in Flame is called Slade in Flame, not Flame. I mean, actually, that film is called Flame, but as it appears on screen, it's Slade in Flame. Okay. All right. And once you've seen it, correspondence to correspondence at K. In flame. Okay. All right. And once you've seen it, correspondence to correspondence at kerminomea.com.

Starting point is 00:55:08 So, correspondence to correspond. Yeah. If you've got some correspondents, you send it to correspondents at kerminomea.com. That's the way of it. Okay. What else is out? Okay.

Starting point is 00:55:18 The innocence, which we were talking about before in relation to, you know, horror and how one would define it. This is a new from my Eskil vote who wrote and directed the psychodrama blind. Perhaps best known as regular collaborator of Jochem Trier who most recently worked on the worst person in the world, wrote the script for the worst person in the world. And before that Thelma, to which this is actually thematically related. So Thelma was a film about a young college student who's emotional awakening seems to trigger telekinetic powers, so it kind of had hints of carrying it. This is a tale of younger kids, 7-11, who are similarly gifted, but in ways that are

Starting point is 00:56:03 very, very subtly implied at least at first. The story center around four children, between 7-11, probably for heading the microphone, who live on the same housing estate in Norway. Two of them are sisters, Anna Eder. The former has non-verbal autism. The latter seems to resent having to look after her older sister, particularly when she meets Ben, who's a young boy boy who offers to show her something exciting. And he takes her off into the woods and he shows her that he apparently has the ability to move very small objects with his mind, so he'd drop a bottle top, he can knock it out, you know,

Starting point is 00:56:38 she goes, how do you do that? And he says, well, you know, you just concentrate on it. And it then seems that perhaps this is a power that she could learn as well. But it's all very, very understated, very, very sort of low key stuff. Meanwhile, her sister, who she has left alone in a park meets Aisha, and the two former bond, and the sister who formerly had non-verbal autism begins to speak, begins to say single words at first, but clearly is on the cost of speaking again. And somehow it seems that all four of these characters are joined and that their powers are increased when they are together.

Starting point is 00:57:22 But they don't have to be physically together because they appear to be mentally joined. And then the drama is really about how that power, if it exists, maybe it's not, maybe it's in all their imagination, how each one of them responds to it and what each one of them does with it. So the English language title of this, the innocence, obviously kind of evokes the film adaptation of Turn of the Screw and Henry James's Turn of the Screw is the, you know, the great scary children novel in which it's not really the children, it's the fears of the adults being projected onto the children. There's also this in Echo of Village of the Dan, the Wolf River, the film of the John

Starting point is 00:58:02 Windom novel, the Midwitch Cookos, because the idea of a group of children who apparently went together are connected mentally and can affect the actions of other people through many of this is that I don't think you're going to go to London. I was just thinking that face. So there is a hint of that in the background, and it also reminded me at times of that very chilling Austrian psychodrome, Good Night Mummy. And actually more recently, that film, John and the Whole, in its depiction of the affectlessness of youth. There's an early scene in which we see two of the young kids experimenting with a cat in a way that is

Starting point is 00:58:44 that kind of bizarre, bizarre cruelty of youth that does not yet understand right and wrong. And it, did you ever see that film, the sailor who fell from grace with the sea? What do you think? Actually, I thought you might have done because it was out in the 70s and it was a bit of a course delay, but the answer is no. Okay, it's, how to describe this, there is a moment in life when you haven't yet figured out what's right, what's right, you haven't learned moral codes. And that's kind of what the film is about. And this very disturbing, seeming often people talk about any childhood examples

Starting point is 00:59:23 of cruelty to animals is some kind of precursor to something terrible in later life. But there's also something else going on there which is to do with affectlessness. Now, so on one level, you could say this is like a version of the X-Men movies. It's about young people who have powers and often misfit people who have powers. But it isn't. Its focus is that secretive world of children, as they attempt to make sense of a world which is in which, when you're young,

Starting point is 00:59:50 everything is huge, everything is grand scale and yet it's actually happening in a very kind of confined area. I'm a big horror fan. I'm a little offended by the label of elevated genre because I don't think it's a genre that needs elevating. There is so many interesting pure horror films. If people say I've made a horror film, I feel that's a compliment because I wanted it to be scary. But then goes on to say that,

Starting point is 01:00:13 you know, as a filmmaker, there's a whole lot of other things going on, but I really love the fact that that is somebody embracing the label of horror. Okay, you loved it. I really did. Sorry, was that not pleasant? I wonder where it was going. There's the denouement. Okay, it's in cinemas and on digital platforms. Excellent correspondence to Kermene and Mayo.com if you want to join in and review stuff and just comment what else are we going to be doing Mark? We are going to be looking at the new movie by Terence Davis, which is Ben Addiction, and Ah-ha the movie. And we'll be recommending a

Starting point is 01:00:44 physical release and a streaming release for you, we're back in a moment. Okay, take it all leave it time now Mark, and the choices for Take It from all streaming and catch-up services are the worst person in the world now showing on movie, Orlando on Ripbox, Mass on Sky Cinema, well it's obviously that's the winner. Paris 30th District on BFI Player and Conversations with Friends on the BBC's I Player Service. Megan says, took me a few days to process the worst person in the world. Looking back, I really enjoyed the journey the film took me through. Matthew Lawrence, I like all of these except for conversations with friends.

Starting point is 01:01:32 I think the worst person in the world perfectly captures the feelings of being in your 20s and struggling to find the right path and trying and failing at so many things. Jimmy Val Peterson, Orlando, Sally Potter's superb queer fantasy, a landmark in LGBTQ cinema, and the definitive breakthrough of Tilda Swinton, who happens to be one of my favorite actors working today. So which of those appeals to you for a take-it thing? Well, I mean, the worst person in the world is great. We were just talking about Eskilvote in terms of the innocence, but obviously it mass. Because I want as many people to see mass as it is possible, obviously Jason has a key role in it, but you can't say enough times.

Starting point is 01:02:16 It is a film that it's hard to sell because the subject matter sounds very, very dark and depressing, but it is uplifting in the end and ultimately a kind of celebration of life strangely enough and of coming to terms with death. And that's on Sky's cinema. And you'll leave it to choice his gossip girl, that's the new gossip girl on BBC's iPlay or Cinderella, the one from last year on Sky's cinema. The K-Cannon. I liked that.

Starting point is 01:02:47 I mean, it wasn't perfect, but I actually enjoyed it much more than I thought. I was going to. So actually, I think you're not gonna leave it at all. No, you're gonna recommend it. Yeah, I thought, I actually, yeah, I mean, it's got James Cordenen, and I thought it was fine.

Starting point is 01:03:00 There you go. So that's the normal stuff done. Now, last week, sorry. And I have clearly gone soft in my old age. I think that's definitely true, but it's a very affecting. Thank you. Brian wrote in last week, and he asked for some help for movie recommendations on mainstream streaming services to watch with their Ukrainian guests and make them feel a bit more at

Starting point is 01:03:21 home. And you might remember if you heard last week that it had to have no war. Yes. Nothing upsetting, and it should be team friendly and either Russian or Ukrainian. That's right, yeah. In terms of the language that was being used. So thank you very much for the suggestions, Brian.

Starting point is 01:03:40 I hope you're with us with this edition. High top teams says John. For those people who are hosting a Ukrainian individual or Ukrainian family, it may be useful to know that there is a Ukrainian and a Russian setting on Netflix, which offers dubbed and original language films and TV shows. I'd also second last week's correspondent, being a host is rewarding and educational. Thank you, Jon.

Starting point is 01:04:03 Juliet Holtum. Long-term listener just finished your excellent podcast. Can I suggest the following film for your listener looking to watch a subtitled film in Russian slash Ukrainian with their new guests? 2015's I Am Dragon is a wonderful fairy tale that's a visual treat in every frame. It's an Amazon Prime, and although I first watched it a couple years ago, I've never forgotten it and have gone back to watch again. So that's a recommendation for you. Do you remember? I am. No, no, but I'll check it out. Okay. So any other recommendations, I see no reason why we should stop there. If you've got anything for Brian, and also

Starting point is 01:04:39 for anyone else who is looking for Ukrainian friendly movies to watch with their new guests, repeat, you know, teen friendly, no war, correspondence at kermanomeo.com. In take two, we've got a take it or leave it, you decide feature. Now the idea behind this is that the way we discover things has pretty much changed, we might be first out of the traps with a review or a complete duffer Which will happen? I'm just watching Osoc. Oh right. Yes, okay Absolutely and people will just be discovering the wire I know but I keep thinking we're wanting to say to people. I'm watching Osoc

Starting point is 01:05:14 I'm only on series two. Please don't tell me anything But we can also listen to what you are recommending so we're listening to us and then we'll Watch and join in the conversation. It's kind of word of mouth in action and happening on a podcast. Excellent. Now the moment I've been looking forward to the most is discussing aha the movie because I didn't even know that there was a demand for this or indeed that it was going to happen. Well, because aha of kind of there's a two separate things. I'm okay. Anyway, it's about aha the movie. Let me ask, start by asking you you as one of the nation's top pop DJs. Yes, that's me our fan I

Starting point is 01:05:48 Like yes, I mean I like there. I haven't really tuned into any can stuff that I've been doing since Sun all shines on TV some time ago take on me living daylights But I thought that stuff they they were a very good pop band. Okay, Morton Harket was a good fun frontman But I'm not do you still play their bangers on greatest hits right here? All the time. Okay, fine. So I think that a good doc should interest you

Starting point is 01:06:10 whether or not you're interested in the subject. And I have no interest in aha at all. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. It's got a good hair though.

Starting point is 01:06:21 Actually, he's got a good hair now that he's older and he's got quite a good sort of shortcut. When he had the big bouffon, you know, quiff mullet combination. No, it was you, a little jet. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, big, siding sticky out wings, but in a horrible, anyway, so, describes following the band

Starting point is 01:06:37 of a period of four years, sharing the full story of how three young men follow their impossible dreams of making it big. Almost 35 years after their breakthrough, they still create magic, but they tore the world but in separate cars and stay apart backstage, only meet on stage doing the thing they love. So it's a full story of the band.

Starting point is 01:06:54 We go right back to the beginning, we learn how their early inspirations were, Eureia heap, the doors. Eureia heap. Eureia heap. Good heavens. I know. Hendrix, and yet somehow, with all those inspirations,

Starting point is 01:07:07 they ended up sounding like, aha. There's loads of animation because, of course, the take on me, Vids, were famously a random-a-teep. My goodness. There's a lot of low-level, very, very polite complaining, which I think is partly a national thing. So, keyboard player, disconsolate, because never wanted to be a keyboard player, but was told is partly a national thing. So, keyboard player, disconsolate because never wanted to be a keyboard player, but was told to be a keyboard

Starting point is 01:07:29 player, so played the keyboards. Okay, they need to get out of Norway because it was too small for them. They went to London to become stars, then they came back because it hadn't worked out. There's a wonderful revelation that we learned at one point. There hadn't been a front harpist in pop before. A front harpist. A front harpist. That sounds quite velga. So there's a thing about how the take on me riff was originally known as the juicy fruit riff because it sounded like a juicy fruit commercial.

Starting point is 01:07:56 Oh, I suppose so. And we get loads and loads of stuff about how it was experimented on in different versions before it finally became the version that we know. Here is a clip discussing Morton Harkett's unique vocal stylings. I think it was Terry, you know, if you see the work with Queen, you know, he's at home. Whenever you have a falsetto, it's a guaranteed hip. And Morton had a wonderful falsetto, so I thought, you know, that could maybe be a cool thing.

Starting point is 01:08:25 Just to show off his range a little bit. Instead of every song, you know, you have the verse and every song wants to hit that money notes, and I thought it would be cool to instead of just going for that, just kind of start at the very lowest note you can hit and just build filthy way off from there. Say, come me. D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D- This version becomes, hitting Norway nowhere else, they worry if they blown it, then Steve Barono was the video, first album sends 11 million copies. There's a lot of stuff about how some of them still wanted to be in Echo and the Bunny Men. They release Manhattan Skyline as a single to prove that they're not a cartoon band and immediately lose the US audience.

Starting point is 01:09:18 They described it at one point as having the disease of being uncomfortable with their image. They say the songs are nice, but the videos are horrible. And they talk about allowing themselves to be humiliated in team pop settings. of being uncomfortable with their image. They say, the songs are nice, but the videos are horrible. And they talk about allowing themselves to be humiliated in team pop settings. East of the sun, do you know that album? I do not.

Starting point is 01:09:31 Serious album. That's why you don't know it. I don't think I want a series album by a heart. And gorgeously at that point, one of them says, we were flirting with you two-ish stuff, but it comes from the wrong place, which, my place, there's a right place for flirting with you two-ish stuff.

Starting point is 01:09:45 Yes, now don't start on that again, because it's just unfair. MTV Unplugged, reinvisiting their back catalog. They go their separate ways, painting, solo projects, more painting. Suddenly, they hit this one lovely one, which it seemed like every A-Ha fan had turned into a journalist. So Chris Martin, cold play, you two, Oasis, Kanye. All apparently saying that they're a much better band than they thought it should have been. They're washed up, then foot of the mountain becomes a hit. And then they go on a, they go to 2009, they go on a farewell tour, five years later, they're back again.

Starting point is 01:10:18 Here's the thing, they're a pop documentaries and they're a pop documentaries, okay? This is, in the best possible sense, this is like watching a documentary about a corporate meeting in which everybody, I mean they just happen to make pop music, but everybody is really well-behaved. The most, the closest it becomes to kind of, you know, I get no acist document, it'll be effing and jeffing and calling each other names or in that thing, you know, dig the, that fantastic documentary about the Dandy War holes and the Brian Jones set of Massacre, which they're breaking into each other's houses and stealing

Starting point is 01:10:54 each other's equipment. The worst thing that happens in this is that one of them objects that a bit of their song is used in somebody else's song, but then they're overruled. There's no... Maybe they're just nice guys. Maybe they are just... You don't have to break the law to have fun, Mark. No.

Starting point is 01:11:10 The grievances are all utterly standard. There are discussions about writing top-line melodies and not getting credited for it. So basically, if you're an A-half fan, you'll probably enjoy it. Yeah. And if you're not an A-half fan, you'll just not bother. Time for physical product of the week, Mark, because who doesn't love physical product? Options this, and I say free.

Starting point is 01:11:29 You have to do this free to anybody. No, you get it for free. Oh, I see. Everyone else has to pay. Includes, around the world in 80 days, one of these days, rolling thunder and cat size. And Liam Dempsey's just chipping in before you choose something. Yes.

Starting point is 01:11:43 Rolling thunder all the way. A potent revenge flick, written by Paul Schrader at the height of his powers and Liam Dempsey's just chipping in before you choose something. Yes. Rolling Thunder all the way. A potent revenge flick written by Paul Schrader at the height of his powers with great performances from William DeVane and a young Tommy Lee Jones that deals with PTSD in interesting ways whilst also delivering the brutal exploitation goods. What we're going to go for a physical product. Okay, so I am going to go for Rolling Thunder Thunder and get from Rowling Thunder to the exorcist

Starting point is 01:12:07 in two moves. That's your job. Okay. Rowling Thunder features an absolutely brilliant song by Denny Brooks called San Anton. San Anton is used in the opening of William Peter Blattie's directorial masterpiece, The Ninth Configuration. And it is one of my favorite soundtrack songs of all time, and it was released as a single in the wake of Rolling Thunder.

Starting point is 01:12:30 And it's like two minutes long, and it's just fabulous. So our physical product is Rolling Thunder. Because of ninth configuration. Just because of the ninth configuration. Okay. Right, well, before we're done, something else that's brand new and out and interesting.

Starting point is 01:12:44 So, Benedictine, which is the latest film from Terence Davis, who we're done, something else that's brand new and out and interesting. So, a benediction, which is the latest film from Terence Davis, who you've met, I know, the writer directed behind such classics as Distance Voice is Still Lives, Long Day Closes, more recently Sunset Song. He made a film by Emily Dickinson in 2016, called The Quiet Passion. Now, another film about a poet's secret to soon.

Starting point is 01:13:04 So Jack Loudon is the younger Secret Tosun, who's a war hero in this, you know, you probably studied Secret Tosun at school, but as we all know, the story. So he was a war hero, got a military cross in June, 1916 for conspicuous gallantry. His bravery was almost kind of boarded on suicidal. He was just like apparently without fear. Then wrote a soldier's declaration which was read in the House of Commons in which he accused his superiors of turning

Starting point is 01:13:31 a war of defense and liberation into one of aggression and conquest. Rather than being court-martialed, he was diagnosed with nearest-thene of a shell shock and was sent to a hospital near Edinburgh where he met and mentored the young Wilfred Owen, whose poem Disable actually plays a very big part in the film. The film is constructed as a montage that goes back and forth between the war years, the post-war years in which he's, you know,

Starting point is 01:13:56 in the company of Ivan Avello and Stephen Tennant, and in which he then meets the woman who he will later marry, played here by Kate Phillips and later by Gemma Jones, who's a clip. I am. Yes, we already know who you are, Stephen. But who is this absolute dream in oyster gray silk? Hester Gatti. Lady Gatti's daughter.

Starting point is 01:14:18 Yes. She once invited you to Carlton House, Terris. But you hardly noticed me. And I apologize for my lack of taste. But great admirers of your poetry, Sigfried. Before you take offense, either, we like your work, too. Careful, Stephen. That was all most enthusiasm.

Starting point is 01:14:42 Perhaps they will play one of your charming songs, Mr. Navello, and then we could dance to it. I can't tempt Stephen, though. Why not? Because I only do the valeta. So there's all that kind of, you know, brittle, catey, you know, sort of objectionable, objectionable sort of emptiness going on. And then in his later years, as soon as played by Peter Capoldi, at which point his face seems to have settled into a mask of utter despondency. I mean, you know, the way that Peter Capoldi can look horrified by the world in a way that almost nobody else can, which is so strange when you think of him as that kind of young, fresh-faced figure in local hero, bounding after a mermaid and speaking in umpteen different languages.

Starting point is 01:15:25 The thing with Terence Davis, his films have always been deeply personal and there is a lot of Terence Davis in the portrait of Sassoon, being in his troubles with his sexuality, although this is actually a much more sort of sense, she was almost occasionally boredy film than Terence Davis has made in the past. I mean, it is most avertly out film. Also, the fact that Sassoon has a late-native day conversion to Catholicism and Terence Davis obviously famously wrestled with Roman Catholicism for turning his back on the church

Starting point is 01:15:52 and completely abandoning it. Behind it all is this very heartbreaking search. I mean, benediction, you know, what you're looking for is some kind of sacrament. You're looking for some kind of redemption. And Terence Davis has said it into his about this, that he's looking in all the wrong places. He's looking for redemption in other people,

Starting point is 01:16:10 and you only ever find it within yourself. And it's, I think it's interesting that the comparison between Seafreeze Sassoon's sense of failure, an unfold film, which is dramatized in this film, kind of, you can see some of Terence Davis in that, despite the fact that Terence Davis has made films that are, in my opinion, quite often sublime. It's a very sad film. There is a lot of loss and grief and torment,

Starting point is 01:16:39 but it is also vibrant. And it's, in many ways, Terence Davis's most accessible work. I thought it was very moving. That is the end of take one. Production management in general all round tough was Lily Hamley. Videos by Ryan Omira, Professor Kermode's hair and wardrobe was provided by himself. Studio engineer Josh Gibbs, Flynn Rodham is the assistant producer, Hannah Tul, but is the producer. The red actor in chief is Simon Pull. However, all that stuff out the way, Mark, what is your movie of the week? Ben addiction. Excellent. Next week, it's our very first live show with an actual audience, with people who are looking at us and we're looking at them. That's scary. It's the Union Chapel in Islington, in London,

Starting point is 01:17:27 Sanjeev Baskar, Rory Kanid, as our special guest. It is sold out, but you can sign up at Kermit and Mayo.com to hear all about all the new stuff first. And if you have subscribed and you're there for take two, that will be with you in a few days' time. And also Miles Teller, more with him in take to. Thank you for listening. Mark, thank you for just being fabulous. Starting. You're going to say it is to sell out, but then so are we.

Starting point is 01:17:55 That would have been even better. That's the class line. There you go. slide. There you go.

Kermode & Mayo’s Take - Miles Teller, Benediction, Emergency, The Innocents

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