Newcomers: Scorsese, with Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus - Challengers (w/ Margaret Cho)

Episode Date: August 27, 2024

Lauren and Nicole head to the front row of the New Rochelle Challenger with very special guest Margaret Cho to chat all things Challengers! Our trio examines the film’s trio of Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor, share their expectations versus reality of one of 2024’s sexiest films, reminisce about early aughts fashion, and muse about the similarities between pursuing a career in sports and comedy. Follow Margaret: Twitter, Instagram Join us next week for our episode covering Field of Dreams! Get tickets for the upcoming Newcomers: Sports Fan Choice Finale Livestream with special guests Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel on 9/5 at 4PM PT here!Like the show? Rate Newcomers 5 stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and leave a review for Nicole and Lauren to read on the pod!Follow the podcast on Letterboxd.Advertise on Newcomers via Gumball.fmSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a HITGUM original. Tashi Duncan. She's gonna turn a whole family into millionaires. She'll have a fashion line. A foundation. You were incredible today. Thank you. I mean, it wasn't even like like tennis it was an entirely different game.

Hey come hang out with us later. Want me to come tuck you in? No, you just keep talking. How often does this happen? Going after the same girl? Not as often as you think. We usually have different types. So you're saying I should be flattered? Aren't you everybody's type? Come here. Which one of us? He's not in love with you. What makes you think I want someone to be in love with me? It's nice to see you lit up about something.

Even if it's my girlfriend. Art's got his coach, Tashi Donaldson, who also is his wife. I'm playing for both of us, Tashi. I think maybe we're disturbed by the fact that she could have been in a song like me. When we were teenagers. When we were teenagers. Hey. I love you.

I know. You don't know what tennis is. It's a relationship. We went somewhere really beautiful together. Let's go! I'm taking such good care of my little white boys. I assume you planned this? Not this part. Welcome to Newcomers playing for the home team.

It's me, Nicole Byer. And me, Lauren Lapkus. And of course we have Coach Anya back with us to watch along from the sidelines. This season, we are covering 10 of the sports movies we've been told are total Grand Slams. Today, we'll be talking about the most recent sports movie of this season, the tennis slash love triangle film, Challengers. Challengers is streaming on MGM, or you can rent it for a fee on any of the major streamers, and obviously, we're going to spoil the whole movie, so get ready. Get ready and playing for the visiting team,

please welcome Margaret Cho! Margaret is a comedian, actor, activist, who you are sure to know from her multi-decade spanning stand-up career, and you might have seen her more recently on Flight Attendant Hacks, Fire Island. Welcome, Margaret! Thank you. Thank you.

We are so excited to have you here to talk about this movie. I can't believe... I'm so glad we... Nicole and I both didn't watch this until now, because this feels like the perfect way to watch this. We've been watching so many sports movies we've never seen, and some of them are terrible, and some of them are really fun. But this one was like... I loved it, Nicole. What did you think? scene and some of them are terrible and some of them are really fun. This one was like, I will, I loved it. Nicole, what did you think?

Really? Okay. I wanted it to be sexier. What? I know. I know. What a wild critique of this movie, but I wanted it sexier. I want it more. I want it. Titties. I want it more dicks. There was one dick. I want it more. There was one dick in the background of the locker room. Is that what you're talking about? Yes. I wanted more. I just, yeah, I wanted more sweating and more sex. And then the two gentlemen are a little thin. They're a little wispy for my taste. They're like two Timothee Chalamets and I wanted beefier, beefier boys. But I did like it.

It was fun to watch. Good, good, good. Margaret, really quick, did you like the movie Off the Bat? What were your thoughts? I loved it. I thought it was actually really sexy and sensual, but it was also really about the sport, which I also appreciated. Like everything was really about the fact that all we do is tennis. And I really appreciated that. Yeah. And do you know anything about tennis? I played briefly as a child. I played a number of sports. Tennis was one of them. I like the outfits. In the 70s, it was just like a cool thing that, you know, kids like you did at like, you know, the country club or whatever. Not that we were rich or anything, but, you know, we would just like go with my cousins in Orange County.

And it was so 70s and so glamorous, like 70s turning into 80s, which was, I think, a really great time for me. That's like peak fashion, in my opinion. Same. I bet tennis clothes were really cute then, too, specifically. Because they're cute now. Yeah. It's super cute. Yeah, it's always very cute. And I don't think that tennis fashion has changed much. You know?

It's just, I think it's adorable. Yeah, I love it. Okay. Well, we're going to do a little segment called the Shot Clock, where each of us will take 10 seconds to summarize the film, and Anya's going to count us down, and we're going to hear, she'll tell us when we're out of time. So if you need a moment to calibrate your thoughts, or if you want to just jump in,

um, anybody want to go first? Mmm, I can go first. Okay. All right, here we go. Okay, Zendaya is the Rudy of tennis. She loves tennis. There's two wispy boys. She makes them kiss. More tennis happens.

She's rich with one of them and then one's poor. He comes back. That was great. Excellent. All right. Okay, Margaret. I want you to go. All right.

It's the film is about a love triangle, but it's next? Okay, Margaret. I want you to go. All right. It's the film is about a love triangle, but it's also about tennis, but it's also about playing each other with each other together and apart. Ooh, time is fair. Ooh, very succinct. Is that the word I can use?

And accurate. Yeah. Yeah. All right, Lauren. It was, and they want to fuck two guys, but she actually wants them to fuck each other, and they all play tennis, and some are better than others. She hurt her knee, she hurt her knee.

Oh, yeah, I forgot about the torn ACL. The knee of it all. When it cracked out, I was like, Jesus. It was not okay. Wait, Lauren, have you played tennis? No. In school, I think we had to do a little bit but more badminton than tennis, which not the same, but I suck just as much at that.

Yeah. My dad played tennis and he had two daughters. So I think in his mind, he was like, I have my very own Serena and Venus, and I'm gonna do that. But I was like, no, thank you. And I went to tennis camp every fucking summer, and I hated it. And I would always hit the ball over the gate,

because I was pretty powerful. I could have been good, but then I'd have to go get the ball, and I could take time and not do it. And I didn't understand the scoring. I honestly don't understand. And it was okay with them not explaining it to me. I felt like that was fine.

I was like, it's probably just on me that I don't know this by now. And we're good. Like I did. I liked the the intensity of the games. But I liked more was the subtext of the relationship within the games. That was really fun and made it way more exciting than just like, no offense, Miracle, which we watched a hockey movie. I don't know if you've seen that. Everyone was mad that we didn't like it. You can't be mad.

I just have to say, you can't be mad we didn't like Miracle when then we're watching Challengers. It's like, I like this. Like, obviously I don't care about that. I can't with these commenters. Okay, we need to take a timeout. We'll be back with another round of challengers after a word from our sponsor. Everybody say ready, break, okay?

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Newcomers with Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byer is doing a live streamed fan choice episode for the finale of our season on iconic sports movies. That's right, you can finally tell us what we should watch. And on September 5th at 4 PM Pacific time, we'll recap the winning movie and improvise a sequel with our friends, Paul Scheer and Rob Hubel live. Head to my Instagram or head gums to vote on the movie and then head to moment.co.co slash newcomers to buy tickets.

Again, tune in September 5th at 4 p.m. Pacific time. If you can't watch it live, the video on demand replay will be available for 10 days. It's gonna be very fun. Don't miss it. Get your tickets at moment.co slash newcomers. Bye! newcomers. Bye.

We're back. Challengers. Ooh, baby. This is a hot new movie. It was released April 26, 2024, written by Justin Kurtis. Kurtis Kiss. Kurtis Kiss. And then. OK, here we go. Directed by Luca Guadalino. Yeah, that was good Guadalino. Oh, I think I did it. I was good.

We struggle. I really surprised myself. Yeah, I loved that. Okay, well, we're gonna jump in, talk about the plot. And Margaret, anytime you wanna say anything about anything, you're more than welcome to interrupt. Jump in. Yes. Okay.

Okay, so we're in New Rochelle in New York. In 2019, well-known tennis player Art Donaldson, You're more than welcome to interrupt. Jump in. Yes. Okay. So we're in New Rochelle in New York. In 2019, well-known tennis player Art Donaldson, Michael Feist, is competing as a wild card in a challenger event, a type of tennis tournament that is considered a second tier to professional tennis where players can improve their rankings and gain experience. Art is competing against Patrick Zweig, played by Josh O'Connor, in his final set. Watching in the crowd is Art's wife and coach, Tashi Duncan Zendaya, who, okay.

Already I'm excited because I'm like, her haircut is different. We've never really seen her with her hair like this. And it's the intensity. Did they age her up? Like- See, that was my question, because I was like, they look so young when they're young,

and then they look old when they're old. I know, but I felt like- I think it's the severity of the bob. Is that like it's that Anna Wintour effect. Yeah. It's sort of this like the smoothness of the bob. And she's like watching the ball going. And it's also very pointed that she's not watching the ball going because then she's just focused on her husband playing.

Yeah. You know? Yeah, I almost want to watch the beginning again now that I know the ending. That's kind of fun. Ooh, that would be fun to watch. Cause I was, yeah. Cause she does just like focus at one point.

And I was like, what, what, why? But now I get it. It's like, she really cares about this man's career cause she couldn't have her own. Yeah. I just, I really liked the beginning of this movie. I thought it was a fun way to get into it because I was like, okay, I don't love tennis, but we got the ball, we got a nice dress,

we got all these fun people, I'm into it. I agree and the music was really fun. So there's like club music playing the entire time. Yes. It's like Under every scene. And I was watching this movie with headphones on while wearing my baby and standing. So I actually was like dancing through a lot of this movie. I was like, Oh my God, this kind of rocks. It was great.

Also, they didn't explain the challenger event. I was like, they kept saying challenger and I was like, what is a challenger? I didn't know what that was. It took me like a while. I didn't know what it was. I just sort of figured it out. I'm like, oh, well, I guess this is a place where you can just sort of make some money or work on your craft. I don't know if there's, is there a standup comedy equivalent to that?

Maybe it's working on the road. An open mic? Oh, yeah. No, no. I think like beyond that, like if like if a headliner like decides to go on the road and do a bunch of clubs. That makes sense. You know, I think that's what the standup comedy equivalent like you go and you go out there and like you work on your act.

Or like college. Or you do like a theater or something. Yeah. Yeah. You do a bunch of colleges or you do like a run at like a bunch of like smaller clubs. How was that for you in your life? Like, like touring in those situations, Margaret, when you were younger? When I was really young, they didn't have GPS. So I would have to rely on maps, which I can't read.

Can't read and also or, which I can't read. Ooh. Can't read and also or directions, which people can't give. So I would be looking for exits that didn't exist. I would be like trying to find places and then I would just like veer off and I would just go try to get a motel wherever. And I got a motel one time where there was graffiti on the inside of the room. Oh no. And I had to get my, I got my motel one time where there was graffiti on the inside of the room. Oh no.

And I had to get my money back very quickly. It was very scary. But you know, like you go and you do all of these sort of like one-nighters and in a search for trying to get better. And then there's a certain kind of comic that you meet that only does those. That's sort of the equivalent to the challengers. There's like a bunch of comics that never ever break out of that sort of road dog experience. And then you meet them and they're often like guys in their 40s and 50s and 60s sometimes

and they're living out of their car until like, because they're only really have to be in the club. Their club has a condo, they're living in the condo, but then they have to get out Monday and Tuesday. You know, so they're living in their car those days. It's the perfect analogy to Josh at the beginning, or that's the actor St. Patrick's mind. Yeah, totally, very Patrick. Very similar.

Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that is such a good analogy. I once met an old road dog who I watched the first night of he was featuring for me and he had a joke that didn't work and he was like, that's how I like to tell jokes to silence. And I was like, oh, that's a fun way to cover a joke that doesn't work.

But then he did it every night and I was like, wait, so you don't want to figure out how to make this joke work? You're perfectly happy with that? It was wild. That's crazy. That feeling would haunt me. It's like, let's not repeat that. And then I had to take him to the beach the next day. Listen, it was a long weekend in Naples, Florida.

So no, why did you have to go to the beach? Because he was like, what are you doing tomorrow? I said, probably going to the beach. And then he goes, oh, bring, please bring me. And I said, oh, yeah, I'll try. And then I tried to not bring him, but then we ran into each other at the lobby. And he's like, so you're going to the beach?

And I was like, yup, I was gonna call you from the lobby. And he was like, okay, I'll go get my stuff. And I was like, all right. It was awful. And that's like maybe the worst place to take someone you don't feel like hanging out with. Like there's nothing to do but just sit there and talk to each other.

Just sit there and talk. I swam out so far and he was like, hey, you're going far away. And I was like, yeah, man, hopefully the tide will take me anywhere else. Okay, so two weeks earlier, Tashi and Art are seen preparing for the event. Despite the fact that Art is recovering from an injury, he's hoping to make a comeback in tennis after a bad losing streak. Tashi pushes Art hard to win, seemingly more invested in the sport than their relationship.

This is when I was like, she is the Rudy of tennis. When Art tells Tashi he loves her, she simply replies, I know. I was like, damn, that's cold. I could never be that type of person. I wish. Oh God, no. Just like beautiful and cold. Yeah.

And this is when we're when we're in the hotel and we see that she has a kid with... We don't know if it's with him or not, right? But I guess I assumed, but I wasn't sure because I couldn't tell how long they had known each other. So I was kind of... I just didn't know. But I was fascinated. I like watching movies about really rich people too,

so the TV shows. Yes. It was like a fun environment. And I was like, oh, she's very intense. I thought it was interesting that they're a tennis duo. She's in advertisements with him. Yeah, I can't think of a real life equivalent. We never know about tennis. I don't think of a real life equivalent. Like, you know, because we never know about tennis.

I don't know who the coaches are. No, and I felt like her career didn't justify that. Like, her playing career was still when she was younger, where before she would have been... Like, nobody had seen her doing all of that, right? Although Dendaya makes a really legitimate good tennis player. Like, the shot, the ball cam. Oh my God, she's amazing.

I was surprised. She's great. I was pleasantly surprised. Very impressed. I was blown away. I Googled that because she trained for three months with a pro tennis player like intensely. Because I was like, how do you fucking pull that off?

She was amazing. But is there an equivalent to a coach that's- I don't think there's an equivalent of a coach that was like in ads, but I know Bella Carolli's name. Yeah, but also how often is the coach like super hot? Like it's like we kind of all like, we're like, yeah, she makes sense being on a big billboard. She really is so pretty.

It's not fair. Yeah, she's really pretty. She's beautiful. Okay, days earlier, Patrick is seen trying to get a room at a motel, but his card declines and he ends up sleeping in his car. This is so sad. This is so sad. He was trying to fuck that lady for a room.

I know. He's also like a known hobosexual, which is something that we always have to be careful of in the winter months. Like around September is when you have to start looking out for homosexuals. It's actually worse in New York because of the housing shortage and how expensive it is. But around, you know, when it starts to get cooler, the cooler weather comes. The men, they come around the men who have no homes, who try to hook up and then never leave. Yeah, I couldn't tell if he was implying that with the hotel lady.

Of course we find out that he definitely was, but I mean, maybe I was just not picking up on it for right then, but so he's, yeah, he's like hitting on the lady who runs the motel. It doesn't work. Okay, so in the morning, he checks in for the Challenger tournament and is given half of a sandwich out of pity by the woman working there.

I couldn't believe how he was looking at that bagel. He was about to pass out. He was just like, oh, if only you gave me part of your food. And that lady, she was like, all right. I was like, leave her alone. He tries to get an advance on the prize money, but is told he could only get paid that day if he throws the game and loses. Patrick's face falls as he considers this.

He then learns that Art is competing as a wild card in the tournament and his face falls again. We flash forward to their match again. Art seems frustrated, Tashi's visibly stressed and Patrick smirks as he looks to Tashi in the crowd. I'm very, I thought this was great storytelling. I'm already super intrigued. The back and forth is like, it feels almost random to me.

Like, I can't put my finger on, like, why we're jumping and what we're doing, but I was really enjoying it. And I loved that his character, that I was not expecting him to be how he is, that he's, like, broke and living in the car and whatever. Really, really fun right off the bat. Yeah, I think it's super fun. I also love that lady who gives him half her bagel

because she was like, remember me? I was at your match against Art and Art's going, be here, isn't that fun for you? Because you're so hungry. Like I really. Oh my God, totally. Because she knows he's like famous and rich and all these things.

Yeah, that's really funny. So we flash back to 2006, 13 years earlier, gotta say, the fashion was on point. I said, okay, I know this time period. Yeah. Like prom dress with the tool underneath her dress. I know like her party dress. I love it. So perfect. This is where you get like, like, her party dress. That was so perfect. This is where you get, like, oh, we're getting films now that romanticize that period as a period film, like Saltburn.

It's the same time period. So it's what I love. The fashion was perfect. It's really fun. It's always that thing where, like, when you're living in that time, you can't imagine what is gonna be the notable fashion later. And then to see the 2007, you're like, oh, that's exactly't imagine what is going to be the notable fashion later. And then to see the 2007, you're like, oh, that's exactly it. And there's people on Instagram who like saved everything from like different times in their life.

And like there's like a girl that I see every once in a while where she like dresses like she did in college and she'll put all the clothes on. And it's like my years that I was in college. And I can't believe it. Like the skirts that are like one inch long and just fringe, like but they're denim. Yes. And then like a belt and then tank tops. And like really thick necklaces with an owl on it or something. Oh, the owl necklace had a chokehold on the nation. Why were we doing owls?

It was a weird carryover from like the 70s where the 20 late, late aughts do sort of a nod to the 70s with like a skinny scarf. Yes, oh my God, I had so many scarves. I had so many skinny scarves. And I had a knockoff Alexander McQueen skull scarf that I just loved. Love it.

Oh. That would be cool. I'm picturing you in line at TKTS or whatever, Nicole, I'm trying to go see shit. Wearing a vest and my Alexander McQueen knockoff skull scarf. Love it. Yikes. My god.

When I look at pictures from that era, I'm like, Nicole, you had no friends, because I also had blue contacts. Who was I fooling? Nobody. I don't have blue eyes. That's cool. Truly, I looked like I was from Men in Black

because I would move my eyes, and then the contact would slowly follow. It was disgusting. OK, so it's 2006. Art and Patrick are competing as teammates in a doubles tournament. I loved this reveal. I was like, ooh, wee.

We learned that they've been best friends since childhood. They win the juniors double title at the US Open before going to watch Tashi. Then a highly perspective young player in her match. Tashi is victorious yelling out, come on, while her opponent smashes her racket in frustration. Art and Patrick are both clearly completely smitten with her as they watch on. This is hot. I love all of this. And I'm wondering, are they a couple?

Cause they really are giving off some sort of vibes. There's lots of ambiguity in their conversations and I can't tell what's going on. I can't, and like even when he's kind of, Patrick's denying that he has a girlfriend, it didn't feel like it was even about Tashi. It wasn't like, oh no, I don't have a girlfriend cause I want to date her. It was just like, that's not my girlfriend.

Like, it was very like, I want to fuck you. Yes. I liked that. I loved when they both like leaned back. Like, they had very similar mannerisms when they were watching Tashi. And it felt like, like, just one unit being like, we will fuck her and then we will fuck each other.

Yes. I thought the casting was so great with these two guys. They look so great together. They do. Yeah, I mean, I get that for sure. But I just thought they were so believable in this. Like, there was just... And I've never seen either of them before,

which I always love, because I can really get swept away by the story. And so I just, I had no preconceived notions. I did look up in the middle of it to see if one of them was from another country. Cause I was like, someone's doing an accent and it is true. Patrick is British. Patrick I believe is from England.

Yes. Ooh. But he was really good. You couldn't tell. You couldn't tell, but it was just moments. You couldn't tell. Yeah. But they had, they were giving forth the eroticism of the time too. Like you could see that very Abercrombie and Fitch quality coming through. It was very that.

Yes. Oh my God. I don't know if I like that or not in my past, you know, I look back and I'm like, that's, I'm triggered, but I also still think it's attractive. We know the history of it, which is not very... The reality of the Abercrombie and Fitch story is very ugly, but the aesthetic, I think, is pleasing no matter what. It's that homoeroticism of all American college boys, which was Abercrombie and Fitch, or to some extent Ralph Lauren does that too, and Calvin Klein, but that era was very, very

bad. And like, do you remember the layered polos with the polo neck? Oh yeah, the collar is up. Where you pop it up and there's three polos on. We were also warm all the time. Camping comfortable. Very thick sleeves on those things. Also, do you remember Abercrombie had like offensive shirts that they were selling?

Totally. Abercrombie had offensive shirts that they were selling. Totally, like really racist, like super racist Asian iconography. Like racist black things. It was like what? Yeah, really, really racist. Oh my god, I remember the Asian typeface or something written on things where you didn't know what it said, right? But I don't remember any other stuff. Nicole, what are you thinking of? Is it from the documentary? I haven't watched that. I was just on the phone with a friend and we were like, remember this.

And then we Googled it. And then some website had a bunch of things like all of the shirts that they had. I'll research that on my own time. Like how demented. By the way, they're opening an Abercrombie like in Pasadena soon. I just drove by that. I was like, I thought this company was done. No, so they did a hard rebrand

and now they have like plus sizes and they do like inclusive sizing and they also have like a curvy line where it's like small waist, big butt. So it's like everyone can fit in our clothes. And I was like, this is unheard of. This is not the Abercrombie, I know. Yeah, that's just a whole new thing.

All right, I guess that's good. I guess they're now a good company. Everything is erased. Okay, that night at Tashi's party, Patrick and Art start, they watch Tashi dancing with their friends and Patrick talks lewdly while Art tells him to knock it off, calling Tashi a remarkable young woman.

The boys introduce themselves to her with Patrick going on to invite her to their hotel room. When Tashi does show up at their door late that night, the three get to know each other. This is like I'm reading erotica right now. Patrick gets more personal, explaining to Tashi that he taught Art how to masturbate. Tashi then invites the boys onto the bed,

where they take turns kissing her before it segues into a three-way makeout session. Tashi then slowly pulls herself away and watches in amusement as Art and Patrick continue kissing. Before leaving, Tashi tells them that she will give her number to whoever wins the match the next day, where Art and Patrick are competing against each other." I agree this didn't go as far as I thought it was gonna go.

I think when you're saying you wanted more, I thought we were gonna see something kind of insane, but that was still pretty... It was fun because it was gonna go. I think when you were saying you wanted more, I thought we were gonna see something kind of insane, but that was still pretty, it was fun because it was unpredictable. It was really like, where is this going? And the story about the masturbating was really fun. It was really, yeah, that, it was, but it's still something that we've never seen.

Like, when we think about three ways, it's always sort of very humorous or it's like over the top. Like, this was actually very realistic to me. And then what was so erotic actually was Tashi's expression her face when she's pulling away and just watching them. Like this delight. And also like discovery, you know, I thought that was really beautiful. And that's how eroticism in film for me really works, when you can see it in the character. It's not just about like what they're physically doing,

but it's what they're feeling internally, I thought was impressive. Yeah, I agree. And even with the guys kind of watching each other as she was kissing one of them, and they were having their moment of like, is this really happening and like, what's about to happen next? And when she pulled them in together, I mean, this is it was just, you know, validating my feeling that they were interested in each other. Like, they kind of just were making out with each other on top of her instantly, like it kind of wasn't like they they did not try

to avoid that at all. And I thought that was really hot and great. Yeah, this scene, I did enjoy it. This scene I said, Ooh, baby, I'm having a nice time. And when she leans back and has that smile on her face, I was like, is she like turned on by them kissing or is she turned on by pitting them against each other? And is she thinking about tennis? I think it's both. I think it's all of those things. Oh my God. You're totally right.

Cause I wasn't thinking about that at all in that moment. And yeah, she was definitely like plotting something while also being into it and everything. And then like the sudden like, okay, I'm out of here. I just loved it. I thought that was really just keeping, it was just keeping the story so engaging. I mean, truly, this guy directed, Me By Your Name. And that had the same thing for me, where I was like, what is happening?

I love a movie like this, where I just don't know where it's gonna go. Yeah, it's very fun. I did really love when she was like, okay, see you later, we have no beer, bye. Just like leaving them, because then you're like, well, did they continue the makeout ses after she left? Like what happened after? And that's what I wanted to see.

Do we feel like they did? Do you think they did? I don't think they did. Yeah. No. They were just like, all right, that was crazy. Good night. Yeah.

And then just like put it away. Yeah. Probably. So Patrick wins the match and scores Tashi's number. Later when he and Art are playing one on one, Patrick uses Art's tail, holding the ball to the racket's neck before serving per Art's request to confirm that he and Tashi had sex.

I was like, oh man, tough. Tough to reveal that during tennis, but you know, makes sense. I thought that was that was, again, just another example of like really great story telling that it's like, let's not talk about it. Let's just have a symbol. And then they're both like, am I going to do it? Am I not? Oh, yeah, I thought yeah, I'm really fun. And then of course, we get that that plays out later in a really fun way, which I was I was anticipating, but also going, maybe they won't do it. Maybe they maybe he will do that. Maybe you want to.

And so that was fun, too. It wasn't super obvious whether they were going to use that again. Flashing forward to present day, we see Patrick looking for prospective housing by trying to score a date on Tinder, sitting at a hotel bar with his date. Patrick spots Tashi, who makes it clear she's not happy to see him and tells him to stay away from her, Art, and their daughter. I mean, the intensity, I'm like, what the fuck happened between these people that is making her like, she wants him to fuck off,

and he also has no, he doesn't seem to care that she's saying that to him. Like, he's not taking that in at all. I thought it was overblown. I thought the reaction, after watching the film, like I thought overall, the reaction to him is over over the top. Like it doesn't just all the things that happen up to them don't really justify what the film is.

But that's okay. It's like one of those things I'm like, well, I don't really buy it. Like I'm like, that's kind of an extreme reaction to the stuff that you guys were doing. I'm like, well, I don't really buy it. Like, I'm like, that's kind of an extreme reaction to the stuff that you guys were doing. I thought it was a reaction to later when you find out he doesn't go to the match where she tears her ACL.

Like, I think she doesn't blame him, but she's still really, I think she has real unresolved issues about the fact that she cannot play tennis. And I think she puts it on him. Yeah, that makes so much sense. Yeah, that makes sense to me because that was so sort of unclear. Yes, because it was it was so it was like it was very ferocious and yeah, and she was

angry. Yeah, I also not sorry to jump in. There's also like a very short scene where you see that she cheats on Art with Patrick. Right. So, and this is after that. In the pap... Yeah, so she's probably very like, you have to get away.

You need to get away. You're always trying to mess up my life. Yeah. Yeah, I think the tennis thing probably is like the huge weight behind that because that distraction on that day, which we'll get to, but like, I think that was... I mean, I think you're right though, Margaret, that I, at we'll get to, but, like, I think that was... I think you're right, though, Margaret, that I, at the time, was going like,

whoa, like, I guess someone fucked somebody. I was just thinking about that. Yeah, like, you're super mad about something I didn't see. Yeah, but that makes sense, Nicole, that it's more about tennis, because she's clearly obsessed as she brings up many times. It's all she thinks about.

It is very Rudy. Rudy has a one-track mind and so is Zendaya. I feel like in most sports movies that we have seen everybody is like the sport I do is all I care about. I don't have anything else to live for. It kind of seems like that's true of people sometimes though when they're really into a sport. Like when you're really trying to become professional, that it's, I mean, and I think that's, if we're gonna make the comedy analogy again,

I think it's possible that we know people who are like that about comedy. Like when you're really- I think I was like that. Yeah, and I think I was too when I was younger. Yeah, like when you're starting. Yeah, no, at a certain point you're like, I enjoy other things in life and it's nice to do that.

I have to do anything else. But when I guess the first like 10 or 15 years of my starting, I was like, that's all I did. Yeah. And I was out to like three or four in the morning every night with comics, which I can't even imagine now. Like, oh my God. It's like I have to go home, I need to sleep.

Same with improv, like I feel like I was out doing that every night, I would do multiple shows a night and then, or rehearsals or whatever. And then now I'm like, when is this show? It's at eight? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

In New York, we did the most insane thing for Mod Night, the sketch teams at UCB. We would have to have rehearsal after the last show. So we would do our tech at 1 a.m. That's insane. Which is insane. There's no reason for that. That's so cool.

When you're younger and you're starting, it's like that's all you care about. So it doesn't matter. I know, I would meet other comics at midnight. We would start at midnight and have writing sessions. Wow. I drove around with a car full of wigs. I know, my car always had wigs and glasses.

Ready for a sketch at any time. I mean, honestly, that's kind of cool, but whatever. It is cool. So we flashback to 2007. Tashi and Patrick have entered a steady relationship and she and Art now play tennis for Stanford University. At practice after lunch, Art tells Tashi that Patrick doesn't really love her. Tashi's like, I don't care if anybody loves me, and coldly walks away.

She doesn't give a fuck. Which I was like, okay. Patrick shows up to hang out with Art at the cafeteria and teases him, knowing that he's jealous of his relationship with Tashi. Before going to Tashi's room, where the two of them start to hook up, but soon Patrick gets put off by Tashi's coaching him about what they

about what to do in bed, which turns into a bitter argument with Patrick storming out. OK, I liked her shirt that she's wearing that says, I told you. And I was like, it felt like it was definitely like intentional. Obviously, this movie is very intentional. Everything's so like some we haven't even talked about the way they film everything so symmetrically, like people move in symmetry and like everyone's in sync and it's really beautiful to look at.

But I was kind of curious, okay, like I told you, like where is that coming into play? And then we later see him wearing that shirt because it's his shirt, but it's like after that moment where she's torn her or broken her knee or whatever she does, which I really liked. And this was funny too with her. So like she's, they're having, they're about to have sex

and then she's talking about his tennis, but it wasn't about what to do in bed, it was about what to do on the court, right? What to do on the court, yeah. Yeah. And I was thinking about, Nicole, we were talking about people giving you notes after an improv show or something.

Like if you were like, someone who's watched it, it's like, you should have done this. Like, no, and if they said to you you're about to have sex, can you imagine? That'd be so insane. And it's like, what? You think my second beat should have been better while you're entering me?

What's happening? Yeah. That would be so horrible. But yeah, you can see why he gets mad. But then she's like, she's so turned off by him getting mad that she's like, I guess you just don't care. Like, I'm giving you free tips. I'm amazing. You're not.

And you're not taking it or whatever. Funny, because like she was talking and then he was like, wait, are you talking about tennis right now? And she was like, yeah, I'm always talking about tennis. I'm always thinking about tennis, tennis, tennis, tennis. And I was like, oh boy. Well, because even in the opening scene where we see her daughter and she's like, you're always talking about tennis. And she's like, yes, I am. She's like, yeah, I don't like you because you don't play tennis.

You don't know what I'm talking about. Yeah, it's, it is. It's so intense. It is very Rudy, but I think she has more of a leg to stand on than Rudy did with his obsession. He just had a pipe dream. Anyway, we're still mad about Rudy. So Tasha competes in another match and only art is there to watch. She makes a bad move and severely injures her left knee, taking her out of the game. While she's recovering with Art by her side, Patrick shows up to make amends,

but both Tashi and Art scream at him to get out. Later, as Tashi tries to recover and train again with Art, her knee gives out repeatedly. She realizes her tennis career is over. This is so sad. It was so sad and I didn't see that coming at all. And no, because she was so good. Yes.

She was so good. And even though we know she's like rich later, I was like, okay, so she's a famous tennis player and whatever. And she still like wants him to be good or something. I was making it make sense. But the knee, the way they shot that knee was, yeah, it was nasty. And then in the beginning, she does have a scar on her knee that she rubs, and I was like, huh, what's that? And then I was like, oh, that's from her ACL surgery.

Okay, I see what you did. Yeah, don't you love how, like, you just go like, I don't get it, and then later, like, oh, but... It's funny to pay attention to a movie and go, oh, they explained it to me later. So a few years later, we see that Art and Tashi have reconnected. They're now dating. Art tells Tashi that he and Patrick have not spoken since her injury. Soon Tashi becomes his coach.

It's so interesting because even though she's injured, she gets exactly what she wants. She wanted one of those boys and she wanted one of those boys to be a winner. And she was like, I'll be with a winner. And that's what she does. Yeah. Yeah. It's all, she just dumps them based on whether they're winning or not. Yeah. It's kind of funny. All right. I mean, it's clear what she wants. I don't know what more they need to find out. Just get better at tennis if you want to be with her. That's fine. That would be terrible if somebody had like that sort of expectation

for you in a relationship. I mean, these guys are so whipped by her. Right? I mean, I don't know. Well, similar to a film called Jules and Jim, which is a Truffaut film from the 1960s French New Wave, where it is about a classic three-way. And this is the only other film that's ever sort of even imitated that kind of thing. But it's about these two men who are just,

their sexuality is sort of in this woman, or they're working out their repressed feelings for each other through a woman who is higher minded, more free spirited, smarter than them, and bests them in everything. So in a sense, like, you know, this is really a truly feminist film, because here it's like the woman is like so celebrated,

but she doesn't really care about them. She's like very, she's not centering them. She's like very she's not centering them. She's like not in it for them. She's in it for her needs and her working out what she wants to do with her life, using them sort of as puppets, which I love. Yeah. It was fun to watch these men fall over each other for her and truly her give nothing back. Nothing.

The best. Like, I love you. Yeah, I know. Are you gonna win today? Yeah. Yeah, she really doesn't care. Like, I think that's the interesting, like, I'm like, I don't wanna say she's a sociopath,

because I feel like we probably overuse that term in the world, but like, she doesn't care about them at all. And it's, it's actually weird to me that she's married to him because it's like, why would you even make that? What, what is that? Well, it's in service to herself because then she can use his name to further her own career. Like their career is, is really like what's more important but it's so great when you see finally when a female character is so self-reliant and doesn't care about the men.

That's like such a rare thing in our world. That's so patriarchal. I love that. That's true. It's like, I don't wanna say she's a sociopath because that sort of like diminishes what's cool about it. It's like, I don't wanna to say she's a sociopath because that sort of diminishes what's cool about it. It's like, I don't want to write it off as her being like that. I mean, I think you're right.

Yeah, I think she's a woman who is strong and knows what she wants, and since she couldn't do it alone, she was like, well, I'll just use this man as a step stool to get exactly what I want. Yeah. Yeah. Like she couldn't do it with Patrick because he was too free-spirited and too headstrong,

but he's not as, you know, the guy she married is not as good of a player. Right. But the other guy also kind of sucks, right? I mean, so he doesn't get, he's not successful because he loses when it matters, is what kind of comes out at a certain point. So, I mean, I guess art is better than him in that sense.

But... Yeah, well, he'll do what he's told to do, whereas Patrick is incorrigible. Yes, yes. Okay, flashing forward again to the 2019 match, Patrick does well in the first set, but starts to fall behind as the game progresses and we can see him losing his cool.

We see in another flashback that Patrick had approached Tashi to ask her to be his coach so that he can work his way to a comeback. In response, Tashi slaps him and tells him off for how far he has fallen. Patrick fires back that Tashi doesn't love art, but is only with him as her only connection to tennis, which art is ready to quit."

I love this scene of him approaching her and asking her to coach him. He makes it sound like it's this great proposition. Like, she's like, nobody thinks you're anything. Like she's like, no one even knows who you are. Like you're trash. And yet there's still tension between them, which is fun. Yeah. It's almost like Patrick likes being yelled at.

I don't wanna say like abused, but like being, like I think he likes when she pokes him. It does seem like he's like turned on by that. Like there's something that... I think it's nobody ever like tells him no. Like it's just like he's got himself to answer to, but he doesn't really respect anybody enough to truly like take them seriously like her.

Yeah. Which I also love that too, is that she's the only person that can put him in his place and he likes that. Like he appreciates it. And is this where we find out he like comes from money? Or do we find that out later? Yeah, this is where we find out he's like a rich boy. So he could Yeah, yeah. That's why he's so spoiled. That's why he doesn't care. Yeah, he doesn't try hard enough. Yeah. Yeah. But it's also kind of interesting with the like, It's hard enough. Yeah.

Yeah, there's so many layers. But it's also kind of interesting with the like, I loved his, in the end when we, when they're having the match, or which we see throughout the film, but like that they're wearing such different outfits. Like Patrick is dressed like in such a mismatched, like it's almost like he has like boxer shorts on.

Like he has like plaid shorts and like a striped shirt. It just like looks like crazy together, like a tie-dye shirt. There's something like weird about it. And I liked that a lot because it just tells you so much about personality without saying anything that his like outfit sucked. But he's really good.

I also, when he was checking into the hotel, I liked the couple that was like, he's cute. And the other one's like, he stinks. And I was like, how bad does this man smell? That you are at the door. This man is at a desk and you're like stinky. So the day before the match, Patrick approaches art in the sauna.

I loved this, but I wanted something. I wanted kissing in the hopes of reconciling with him. Art flashes back to a memory of competing in the 2011 Atlanta Open where he witnessed Tashi and Patrick meeting for a one night stand. Art instead lets Patrick know that his glory days are behind him and that he himself will be the only one remembered in the sport.

Yeah, I like wanted a kiss, but then I was like, this is pretty brutal. Yeah, I like wanted a kiss, but then I was like, this is pretty brutal. Yeah. Yeah, it was so mean. Yeah. And the flashback with like her cheating on him when his grandma died. I was like, dang girl.

Yeah. She just fucked up. And then he was like happy. Like that was a sick, I mean, I loved it. It's just really fun writing, but it was like, that was like a sick little moment when she's like says that the grandma died and he's kind of like, and she was a sick, I mean, I loved it. It's just really fun writing, but it was like, that was like a sick little moment when she's like says that the grandma died and he's kind of like, and she had a stroke,

which he had like said, I hope she has a stroke at some point to art. That was like early in the movie. And then when she says that he kind of like has a smirk and then they go fuck. I was like, you're all awful. You. That's so nuts.

Okay, later that night, Art tells Tashi that he plans to retire after the match, whether he wins or not. She tells Art that if he loses to Patrick, she will leave him. At midnight, Tashi sneaks out and meets with Patrick. That was brutal. I was like, Jesus Christ. I know.

But then I was like, that's why she married him. So that when he decided to quit or didn't do what she wanted, she could go, I'm leaving you. And she can always like put that over her head or over his head. Over his head, yeah. And the wind storm was really effective as well. I love the wind storm.

I thought the wind storm was just so perfectly really captures the emotional truth that's happening. It's just like a wind storm is like terrible. You can't escape it. And it just, you know, kicks up all sorts of allergies. And it's just like a horrible event. But you know, it is like, oh, we can't control it's like active, act of God kind of nature shit. Yeah. So yeah, she sneaks out during this windstorm to meet Patrick and gets in the back of his car.

And she asked him to throw the game. They argue he reluctantly agrees in the windstorm. They're fighting outside. She starts to leave. He tries to stop reluctantly agrees. In the windstorm, they're fighting outside. She starts to leave, he tries to stop her. She spits in his face, which I couldn't believe. And then they passionately embrace and they have sex in his car. And that was wild. But I was like, the spitting in the face.

That was really crazy. That was so crazy. That's one of the most disrespectful things you can do to someone. It's so gross. It's disgusting. That's so crazy. That's one of the most disrespectful things you can do to someone. And gross. It's disgusting. And then they fuck. I was like, okay, he loves being disrespected by her.

He loves it. He loves it. He loves it. That's all he wants. And I wanted to see more. It's funny because I did like the movie, but I was like, more, more, give me nasty. Well, yeah, totally.

Cause it was like right on the edge. And it could have gotten real nasty. Like it's just all subtext, you know? Yes. And I wanted to see it. So at the match, Patrick attempts to throw the game, swearing and stalling, but soon he seems to change his mind. He uses their secret tell,

holding the ball at the racket's neck before serving, which I was like, whoa, okay. Yeah. And they really, they really built the suspense there though. It was like, is he gonna do that? Oh my God. And then he finally does and you're like, oh, it's so nasty to do that, right? That's so fucked up.

I loved it. I also really liked that the game is technically low stakes, but for everybody involved in it, it's like such high stakes. Do you know what I mean? Like everybody else in that crowd's like, oh, we like tennis, but like these, whatever. So he starts to play full force again. Also swears earning him a penalty,

which I didn't know that in tennis that you can't curse, like what? Yeah, like they got penalties for like being grumpy sometimes. Yeah, grumpy installing. You're like, I just need a break. And they're like, no breaks. Um, but he lets Patrick catch up to him until they're tied. Uh, when they reached the tie break, Art and Patrick go at it. I loved this. This was great playing quickly and furiously until they both end up close to the net. Art jumps for the ball seemingly about to strike

Patrick, but he falls over the net and Patrick catches him. Tashi's on the edge of her seat, the crowd cheers, Art and Patrick embrace one another, and Tashi jumps up and yells, "'Come on!' and begins to clap." Okay, we need to analyze this, because I actually went online and started reading about this because I was just like, I had my initial thought

of what that meant at the end and who won or what happened, and then later I was like, oh, was it this? What did you guys think? What was your takeaway? I was really confused. Like, I think what it... Kai came away thinking, this is just a game. And then they acknowledged that it's just a game and that maybe the relationships between each other

were more important. Oh, that's interesting. Okay, my thought initially was, I thought Art won because he jumped up and... I thought he slammed the ball down and then, because Patrick catches him, he's not hitting the ball back. And so it's like, it's done. And so I was like, okay, he won, so she's yelling, come on.

And then the moment when she's yelling, come on, it's almost like she's like, I couldn't tell if she's mad or happy that he won, because she wanted to leave him. Like, I was like, she's yelling, come on, it's almost like she's like, I couldn't tell if she's mad or happy that he won because she wanted to leave him. Like, I was like, she's like, come on. And then she smiles. It's like this sort of like moment, like there's like this very brief like shift in her face.

And it's like, she's like, and then it just ends. But so you're like, okay, she wanted him to lose so that she could leave him or she's happy he won so that she can stay with him and Patrick can fuck off or whatever. I thought. Yeah, wait, tell me what you thought. Yeah. No, please.

So I thought Art won and I thought Tashi was happy because she quote unquote coached him to win. But then I thought Art won, but Art was going to leave Tashi and decided that his relationship with Patrick was more important. And I think the smile was her thinking she won, but I think they won. I love that. Because, yeah, I guess when he's so angry about the fact

that she cheated on him, which obviously, and then... But then the hug with him is so, like, solid. There's something very, like, and they stay in it. Which I just, I loved that. I thought that was so great. And then when I was reading online, I was on Reddit. So who knows what anyone knows about anything.

But people were like, people were like, oh, that's like the rules of the game. Like there's no way he could win in that moment. So it's not actually possible that Art won. But then I don't, I don't know. I mean, do you know anything about tennis? Wait, but doesn't she scream, come on when she wins in the beginning. So that's why I think art one.

So somebody did win. Yeah, let's do it. Yeah. Yeah. And I think we're, I mean, I actually don't know anything about tennis, but I think this is the point, right? That there's like a hundred different things that it could mean, depending on what you want to see in the movie. I think ultimately to me it was like, what they want is to fight

each other in this triangle all the time. And so they're now all back together. She gets to like have both of them in her lives again. They get to have each other. All of that is happening. Tennis is just the backdrop for them. I, it was fun thinking about the rest of the crowd just being like, they're hugging! There's so much that's happening here. Ooh, best friends! He caught him! He almost fell, but he caught him. Okay, well, let's talk about the reception of this movie.

Challengers holds an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with mostly favorable reviews from critics. And it spawned countless memes and references on social media. Most notably, the three tickets for Challengers meme, which depicted various trios and threesomes from pop culture as if they're heading to the movie together. That's funny. I missed all of this. I was actually about to give birth right around this time too,

so I was really not paying attention. I have no excuse. I was not giving birth. Well, we technically, I mean, it's my only excuse I've ever had. We never know what any movies are. So this is like the one time I can be like, oh, I was busy right then. Challengers Marketing bought into the response themselves offering a three for two discount in May of 2024. That's cute. That's very funny. I love that. It says buy two tickets, bring a third free. Make it a threesome. That's really cute. I'm into it.

No one ever does fun things like that. Listen, we got to get people back to the theater. We got to do fun marketing. Barbenheimer, that was fun. I didn't see either movie though. You didn't see Barbie? Barbie was good. I liked it.

I don't know. I just like, I guess everyone saw it and then I was like, oh, I don't have Barbie? Sure did. Barbie was good. I liked it. I don't know. I just like, I guess everyone saw it. And then I was like, oh, I don't have anyone to go with. So then I was like, I guess I'll watch it 10 years from now on another podcast. I don't know. I don't know. But here's some trivia.

The original Challenger script didn't include the scene with Tashi, Art, and Patrick kissing on their hotel beds. Wow. didn't include the scene with Tashi Art and Patrick kissing on their hotel beds. Whoa. What? Wow. The director encouraged the screenwriter to write that scene and I'm glad he did. I'm glad he did.

We needed that. He did. That not being in there is whoa. Yeah, that's so important. That's so interesting. Yeah. Wow. And I guess from what I was looking up about the director,

he does a lot of movies that are, like, sort of erotic, but, like, you know, lots of subtext, all that kind of stuff. So that makes a lot of sense that he brought that to this. But it feels like this movie had that built in. It's like you need a scene where you, like, actually see something happen. Mm-hmm. And even the episode, or not the episode, the scene with the churros,

that was made a lot of in the very fellow around the movie. Yeah. And so I think that the director likes to use food and sort of sexual metaphor like the peach and the name. Yes, that was wild. Yeah. Yeah, actually, I didn't put this in the trivia. Oh, I didn't put that. Sorry, guys. I didn't put this in the trivia, but they improvised that like the churros. Of the churro.

Yeah. The two actors. That's beautiful. They were great with that. I love that that was improvised also because it was really, it felt really stylized. Like it felt very like every moment was intentional with that. That's cool.

And it was- Did you guys see Saltburn? Yeah. I saw the end because Mike was like, you have to come here and see this last minute of this movie. When that man fucks that grave, apparently that was improvised. And I've, I heard that, oh, okay, you can confirm.

I said, wow, what a wild thing to improvise. That man took his dick out, said, let me stick it in some dirt. Good for him. Good for him. Oh my God, I have to watch this. What are you fucking saying? It's totally justified. It is justified. Lauren, I have to watch this. What are you fucking saying? It's totally justified.

It is justified. Lauren, I love that Mike was like, watch this last scene, because that's the thing everybody talked about. And I like, when I saw it, I was like, wait, how come we weren't talking about this man fucking a grave? So great.

The dick is flopping around. That's nice and fun, but this man fucks. Anywho, you got to watch that. And then slurping on the bath water. Listen, he was thirsty. I've heard about these things and I don't, I didn't know what that was. And I, I, the ending was, it was just kind of funny with no context. I'm like just watching a naked guy dance around. But that's fine. So the screenwriter said he was originally inspired by the 2018 US Open and the infamous final match where Naomi Osaka beat Serena Williams to win her first Grand Slam title. The controversial game included Serena pleading with the umpire after she received a penalty

for reportedly receiving signals from her coach in the stands. Oh my god, I remember that. I don't remember anything about tennis, but I remember there was drama around that. Yeah. There always seems to be drama around tennis because it seems like the, the umpire gets to just call things and that is it. And it seemed like it, it feels like there's so much room for bias. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? In that scene where, I mean, during the final match where the woman calls, uh, said it was out when it was in or whatever to Patrick and he's like, she just likes you cause you're famous.

She just wants to give you that one. Like, all right. Like she was like getting really salty about it, but like that, yeah, it's very, it feels very like whatever someone sees is the answer and there's no like strict rules in some of those moments. Um, I don't know. Um, so the film score was inspired by nineties Berlin techno and it was the second collaboration between the director and composing duo Trent, uh,

Reznor, and Atticus Ross of the band nine inch nails. That's so funny. I don't know any of these people. You don't? That's funny. I don't know Nine Inch Nails. To read that and not know what that is is like, it's so random as hell.

Nine Inch Nails. What's a Nine Inch Nails song? Well, that's, I wanna fuck you like an animal. Oh, okay. I do know that one. That's cool. They had previously scored Bones and All. What is Bones and All?

I never heard of that. Me either. That's Sandeia's other film with the same director about cannibalism. Oh, is it sexy? I think so. I think it's supposed to be sexy. How about Timotei Telme is in it. Timotei Telme.

Okay, into it. I'll watch that. That sounds great. In the interview with GQ, the duo said they wish they still had Guadagnino's notes on what each piece of the score was supposed to do because the notes were so fucking funny. Reznor said that all the notes were just a variation on the words unending homoerotic desire. I love that. That's so funny. It's what I felt.

I mean, they did a great job. They captured it. A great job. Yeah. The umpire at the new Rochelle final is portrayed by Darnell Appling, who is Zendaya's longtime assistant and friend. That's nice. Oh, cute.

He previously appeared as a fan who swarms MJ and Peter outside their school in Spider-Man, no way home. That's nice. That's nice. That's nice. That's funny because actually there was a scene where he's talking to a woman, and he's their school in Spider-Man, no way home. That's nice. That's nice.

That's nice. That's funny because actually there was a scene where he's talking and she's in the stands and I was thinking, I wonder what she's thinking of this guy. Like, I just like had a thought. It wasn't like, I had no opinion on it. I just was like thinking. He was really good too.

He was. He was great. I was just thinking like, oh, she's sitting here listening to him all day doing this part and then she's just sitting in the stands. I wasn't thinking anything about it, but that's funny that she was very close to him. Yeah, I love that because it's like, nobody wants to be an assistant for forever. So it's like, oh, you have aspirations. I can, I can do that for you. And that's a great part. Great things for me.

Yeah. Wow. Zendaya is my favorite person. I always want to say Zendaya is Michi from that video, but Zendaya is Michi. What is that movie? I don't even know what the movie is. What is that? It's like it's an animated. I have no idea. Let's all move on. It's totally fine. Let's all move on.

There were just billboards all over town. Zendaya is meachie. The moment when the crowd is looking back and forth as Art and Patrick play each other, but Tashi's looking straight ahead is an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train, which I have not seen. Never seen.

Shocking nobody, yeah. Well, on that note, we got to take our second break. We'll have another timeout when we back with more challengers after this. Ready? Ready? Break! It's time for the newcomers draft. Now, if we were going to recast this movie with present day actors, who would we all pick while they're all present day? What if we recast those people from the past?

Ooh, like, what if we do like 80s actors? Oh, gosh. Then you would maybe do Andrew McCarthy and Rob Lowe. Yes. Molly Ringwald as. That's perfect. Yeah. Yeah. That would be like sort of the backpack version.

I can totally see that kissing scene right now. It's like so perfect. Okay. I see it. But I want Angela Bassett in Zendaya's part. I think that would be hot. I love that. Yeah.

And I could see that with Rob Lowe. Yeah. Yeah. What about, what's his name? Patrick Bateman. Ooh, yes, we love him. Christian Bale? Batman.

Christian Bale. Yes. Yes, Batman. Yes. Batman. Batman. Christian Bale does some nice homoerotic stuff with Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine. So that would be that.

You were mentioning so many movies that I guess I have to see. Velvet Goldmine is beautiful. That's my favorite movie of all time. That's one of my favorites of all time. I cannot believe you're even mentioning it right now. I did another podcast just just about that film, about how much I love it. It's my comfort film, so I'll watch it

whenever I need a lift. I've seen it literally two or 300 times. Same, it was my, when I was 13, I watched it for the first time and it changed my life. We're gonna have to talk about this some other time on another podcast. I love that. I love that, okay, I have to watch that.

It's really weird, but you guys will like it. What's my comfort movie? Big. This is not really how my eroticism in big, but it is just fun. It's really fun. What about you, Nicole? Mine oscillates between my cousin Vinny and Ghost.

Oh, okay. Yes, yes, yes. And I just watched, Ghost is so good. Both of them yesterday. Yeah. I watched my cousin Vinny and Ghost. Oh, okay. Yes, yes, yes. And I just watched. Ghost is so good. Both of them, yesterday. Yeah. I watched my cousin Vinny for the first time and it didn't become an instant favorite for me, but I love Ghost.

I know, I'm about to upset you. No, I made Sashir watch my cousin Vinny and we were like 40 minutes in and I was like, you're not laughing at all the parts, I still laugh at. And she was like, I don't know if I really like this. And I was like, well, then we at all the parts. I still laugh at it. She was like, I don't know if I really like this. And I was like, well, then we have to turn it off because I'm upset. Yeah, you can't keep watching it after that point.

No. Torture. But I did make her watch house guest and she liked that. Have you seen that one? Yes. That's also one of my favorite movies. I don't think I've seen that. It's Sinbad and it's Phil Hartman

just having a very fun time. Everybody in the movie is a cartoon with their own game and McDonald's has mentioned a whole bunch of times. I think it's sponsored the movie. I don't know, but it's so funny. He's trying to like get, uh, get away from these mobsters. And then he pretends to be this man who's supposed to be staying with Phil Hartman, um, as a house guest. And then hilar pretends to be this man who's supposed to be staying with Phil Hartman as a house guest. And then hilarity ensues. That's a great duo right there.

I mean, that's a great duo. That's a great duo, yeah. Perfect. Okay, it's time for Kiss Cam. Now we got some really good kissing in this movie. We're always wanting more kissing and this movie delivered, but I feel like we probably wanted more. Nicole wanted more for sure.

What did you think was the best kiss in the movie and what other kisses do you wish occurred? Mmm... I mean, I think the three-way kiss is the best. That was mine. Yeah, the three-way kiss. The wind storm is pretty exciting, but you're also kind of going like, oh, this is so messed up that she's doing this.

What does this mean? I liked the three-way one. And yeah, I think there could have been a little more action. But I actually, I think at the end of the day, I'm gonna say I was happy with the amount that was given. And I thought that it was perfect for keeping me, like, on the edge of my seat for the home movie. I was, I guess I'll say satiated, but I wanted more. And the kiss I wanted more.

And the kiss I wanted to see was between Bagel Lady and the lady at the hotel. I also wanted to see that couple kiss after they were like, ew, stinky man. I wanted everyone to just kiss. Is that the couple that was like, this is not like the same online, like it looks different in the picture? Yes, and I love that, I don't know couple that was like, this is not like the same online, like it looks different in the picture.

Yes, I love that. I don't know if that was improvised, but that was so funny. I think you just need to update your pictures. I love when little things like that are so specific. Like it's just like, you don't even need to hear anything from them, but it was great. So great.

Okay, well it's time for the scoreboard. It's time for reviews. Once again, we are going to be reading reviews from Letterboxd and then we will each give a one sentence review ourselves and a star rating. And for anyone who doesn't know, Letterboxd is a social platform where people can write reviews of films,

and you can see all of our reviews from all of our seasons of the show at Newcomers on Letterboxd. This review is one, two, three, four and a half stars from Brian. Everything is sex, except sex, which is tennis. That's a good review. That's a really good review.

That's great. Anya is also gonna be giving a one sentence review. So who would like to go first? I'll go first. I think I'm gonna give this movie five stars. I really liked this movie. I could totally watch this again and again. My review is, will they, won't they?

What is tennis? Who cares? Back to the kissing. Yay! Ha ha ha ha ha! Margaret, do you want to go? Yes. Sexy, riveting, exciting as the game itself, and the only true interpretation of bisexuality I've ever seen.

Yes, that was great. What is your star rating? Five stars. OK, I'm going to give it four and a half stars because I wanted more steamy sex. I wanted sex in that sauna. I wanted Bagel Lady to get some. I wanted the hotel lady to get some.

I wanted the couple who was checking in to get some. I wanted an orgy to break out in the stands. But honestly, all that said, I really liked it and I had a nice time. Thank you for making this movie. Okay, Anya, what's yours? I'm also going to give it five stars. I love when movies are hot and cool and smart.

Yes. It's really hard to do all three, I think. It is. You know what it kind of, it reminded me of like an erotic thriller from the eighties. Like I watched, God, what is that movie? It's like, Indecent Proposal. That movie is so fucking sexy.

I need to see that. I have not seen that. And that has come up a few times and I keep forgetting about it. I need to watch that. Robbie Redford, my God, what a dream. If I could time travel, I would time travel to meet him in that period

and be like, hey, would you be my friend? Is this gonna be your friend? Well, I don't know. He might've had a girlfriend at the time. I'm not trying to break up a marriage. It's just a realistic dream, yeah. Oh my God. Margaret, thank you so much for being here. Thank you.

We appreciate you so much. Do you have anything you'd like to plug? I am just on tour doing comedy so people can see me and they can find out about tickets at MargaretShow.com. Great. Well, everyone out there, please write a review for newcomers on Apple Podcasts and rate the podcast five stars on Spotify. Not to make you rate it five stars, but if you're going to rate it, give it five stars.

Please, give it five stars. We'll be back next week with Field of Dreams. Nicole, any thoughts about that? I don't know anything about that. The only thing I know about Field of Dreams is if you build it, they will come. And maybe people are dead? Are people dead in this movie? Yeah, there's some, don't tell us.

We'll find out. We'll see you then. Okay, everybody say newcomers on three. One, two, three. Newcomers. Newcomers is a Headgum original hosted by us, Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkez. Our executive producer is Anya Kenypskaya and our producer is

Ali Khan. Our theme music, editing, sound mixing and mastering is done by Ferris Monchi. Listen to new episodes wherever you get your podcasts every Tuesday. That was a Hidgum Original.