Suggestible - The Old Man and the Clock

Episode Date: September 16, 2020

Suggestible things to watch, read and listen to. Hosted by James Clement @mrsundaymovies and Claire Tonti @clairetonti.This week’s Suggestibles:I’ll Give my Marriage a YearRaised by WolvesThe Secret Life of UsSuper Mario 3D All-StarsElliot Park on SpotifyMission Impossible Magic TrickSend your recommendations to [e-mail], we’d love to hear them.You can also follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @suggestiblepod and join our ‘Planet Broadcasting Great Mates OFFICIAL’ Facebook Group. So many things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Time. And the ability to leave your house more than five kilometres. That's right, shelter. Anyway. The movie Tenet. That's the one thing that James, who is here. Welcome to Suggestible Pod, by the way. I'm Claire.

James is over there. We recommend you stuff. We do. We do, especially when you're stuck in lockdown like we are in Melbourne. I'm over Tenet, obviously, because, like, the window's passed and I'm like, fuck it, it's done. Guys, he's not over it. He'll never be over it.

Oh, yeah, I honestly am. That was your breaking point. It was, but now it's like it's been out. It's done. There's nothing I can do about it. James over there is a movie reviewer by trade. Sort of. By trade on the YouTubes.

And he couldn't go and see Tenet by Christopher Bolan. That's right, Christopher Bolan. The famous Bolan. Famous Bolan. Of Bolan fame. Yeah, that's right. Does he like bowling? I haven't asked him.

We've never met. But if I do meet, that'll be the first thing I'll ask him and last. Excellent. All right. We hope you're doing it right out there. We've literally entered into the insanity version of lockdown. Don't worry. People have noticed.

They've sent many messages. They really have, saying that we both look crazy. You haven't had a haircut in like six months. I look ridiculous. My hair's going so white. I look like I'm wearing a Stormtrooper helmet. Yeah, you do. Your hair is starting to look very similar to your mum's hair at the back.

Thank you. And I know that my mum who listens to this will take that as a compliment. She should. She has lovely hair, but you really need a haircut. You've got a real attitude problem. Yeah, I do because I'm married to you. Got him. All right.

That's the kind of quality content you can expect from this podcast. But also we recommend you things. So let's get to it. And now for this dilly-dallying. So we recommend you things on this show. So we should bloody get to it because we've been dilly-dallying for far too long. We've done over a year now, right? It's like 50-something episodes.

Yeah. I know. We skipped past the 50th episode. I don't know. I thought we'd done like 12. I know. We're supposed to like celebrate or something. I didn't realize we'd been doing it for a year. Yeah. That's nuts. That's a 50th episode. I don't know. I thought we'd done like 12. I know we're supposed to like celebrate or something. I didn't realize we'd be doing it for a year.

Yeah. That's nuts. That's a year? Yeah. Holy Moses. Well, there you go. Time flies when you're strong-armed into doing a second podcast. What are you?

I'll strong-arm you every day, mate. What are we doing? Oh, can I go first or you go first? Yeah, I can go first. Or you can go first. This is so boring. All right. I'm going first. I've taken the lead.

Done. All right, so my first recommendation, I'm so excited about this, it's called I Give My Marriage a Year. Whoa, I've heard of this. What is this? By Holly Wainwright. Yeah, I know this. It's really just a pointed statement.

I'm looking at you now and eyeballing it. No, it's not true. But it's a really good book. I could not put it down. But what is it about? What an intriguing title. So I Give My Marriage a Year, it is a great title, isn't it? It's a close and personal look at the marriage of a couple,

Lou and Josh, who've been together for a really long time. They got together in their 20s. It jumps back and forward and begins at the moment that Lou decides enough is enough and that she's giving her marriage a year to Josh, giving her marriage to Josh a year, one year to see if she can make it work. And she sort of comes up each month with like a different thing they have to do. Like the first month is like have sex every day and all of these kinds of things. Wow. That's what I love about marriage. It's just a series of fucking loops and hoops you gotta swoop on through on top of everything else you've got to do.

Sounds great. Here's a series of tasks for you to complete. Anyway, so I think what's really interesting about the way Holly writes is that you really immediately feel like you know these characters and there's elements of everyone I know, I think, in these calories. I get a sense of them from this. Is this a non-fiction or a fiction?

No, it's a fiction story. And she's very different as a person. I listen to her on a podcast called Mamma Mia Out Loud, which is also an excellent show. And so her character herself is quite different to the lead in this story. But, yeah, so it feels really familiar. It explores what it means to be with someone for a really long time. It looks at the dreams that often you have to let go when kids come

into the world and the way that often you have to let go when kids come into the world and the way that your relationship completely changes. It deals with, you know, the pressures of mortgages and extended family expectations and how you change and become an adult really. And the realities of the world coming in on top of you and all of those things. But it's, it's, it's, it's actually just a really rollicking read because you're constantly rooting for both the characters to kind of get it together. Especially in that bloody first month, am I right? Anyway. Thank you.

You just are really barracking for them and you're also feeling for them and they have arguments that you can see reflected in friends or even our own relationship. or even our own relationship. But my favourite moments, and you'll understand why in a minute, are when you get to live vicariously through Lou and Josh's 20s, when they meet, when they're sort of travelling and how they're partying and they live in this little flat in the inner city and they're kind of sleeping on a futon and imagining what it'll be like when they have kids and he's a famous musician and they get to travel together and ride and their lives

are going to be so cool. There's so many parallels, except for the famous musician thing. I mean, famous-ish, no, moderately successful podcaster. Well, actually, I think what's really interesting about kind of looking at that particular time in their lives, because it's so visceral, like all of the sort of experiences of like being at bars and how all their mates are all together and as everyone starts to get married and have kids, that changes hugely. And then also for Josh particularly, the expectation of what he thought his life was going to be and they end up having a kid, that kind of changes their whole world.

They think naively, as most first-time parents do, that it won't change our lives. Change everything. It does. And so they immediately have to move out of their flat and move into, you know, a place in the burbs. And it has this tree which is what Lou's kind of clinging to because it's this special tree.

So that'll kind of mean that it's not just a regular suburban house but they also have to take money from her parents to be able to afford it. And so Josh has to give up his dream of playing music because he has to work more to be able to afford the mortgage. Wasn't he a famous musician? No, you know what I mean. He's a tradie.

Anyway, so. Wait, he's a tradie, so he's not a famous musician. No, but he plays music as well in his 20s. Anyway, I don't know if I'm explaining this very well. That makes sense. But, yeah, so part of me just loved that whole window of them falling in love was, you know, that rush when you fall in love with someone that first time in that kind of honeymoon phase.

Not really. Good going. Yellow. Anyway, who would remember that time? Anyway, I just – I really loved that part. I had a lot of fun thinking about that time in our lives as well and in our friends' lives maybe because we're stuck at home all the time. We can't see anyone.

And so she also has a really beautiful friendship. Her best friend is kind of there for her through all of it and that's really interesting. I think the other part of the book that's also really great is when Lou first becomes a mother. So it's narrated by Lou and also by Josh. And so the juxtaposition of the two voices is also really great and feels really real because Lou's experience of becoming a mother

I so related to in like the utter confusion and loss of identity and like the really brutal midwives who like pull your boobs in different directions and all the people that are trying to tell you things and you're just so kind of overwhelmed by love and also shock about what's happened to your body and you're just so kind of overwhelmed by love and also shock about what's happened to your body and you kind of feel like an alien in your own self and having to kind of find yourself again within this new role of motherhood. And then Josh's sort of perspective on it, watching his wife go

through this but him not actually changing and having to take on the new roles of fatherhood and the responsibility that comes with, I think he's actually, I wouldn't say he's, like he's just not very intuitive, I think, in terms of trying to like really understand where she's at. And I think in a way you kind of can't because it's so visceral, like giving birth and all of those things for your body. So it's just really that is kind of where their problems start to come in the tension between her taking on all of this new responsibility,

becoming this different person who cares about linens and, you know, homey things and really pushes for a house in the suburbs and him not wanting that. So, yeah, it's just. She just wants to noodle on a guitar on a street corner. Yeah, pretty much. And he's kind of much a happy-go-lucky and he thinks everything's fine and she doesn't.

And so it's just a really interesting look at love and relationships and the complexities of growing up, I guess. Is this a book you wrote? Is this what's happening here? No, it's not. It's very different to our lives, very different. And I think that's what I also found. Also, I'm not happy-go-lucky.

No, you're not at all. And you're doing a job that you love and he's miserable doing a job he doesn't. No, and also you're really supportive and encouraging and I think we share domestic roles really well. And I think that's something that Holly explores really well in this too, the idea that women take on a lot of the mental load of a house and all the domestic labour and Lou's character is just fed up to the balls about all of it.

Full balls, yeah. Yeah, but it's interesting to explore that it's not only, say, the guy's fault when that kind of unequal workload happens because it's also about women letting go of things and saying, I'm not doing that, you do it. Yes. You know, I'm not going to do Christmas this year and do everything

and wrap all the presents and do all the things and entertain everybody and be bitter and twisted about it. You actually have to buy presents yourself. You have to go out and take responsibility, you know, and they go through a trial separation and Josh begins to see all of that more I think and so anyway it's really interesting because you're really invested in the outcome and I won't spoil it as to what happens in the end but it's really hard to know and I think Holly

when she wrote it talks about not knowing whether she wanted them to stay together or not okay anyway that's me rabbiting on but I really enjoyed enjoyed it. So I give my marriage a year. I could not put it down. And even if you even read it just to live vicariously through a time before we all had to stand around 1.5 metres apart with a mask on. Yeah, but I prefer now. I think it's great. Hey, I wanted to ask just briefly. Sure. What do you think about all of that, like being a father,

like watching me go through all those things like childbirth and becoming a mother? What's your perspective on that? Yeah, well, I can see what, like I can understand that perspective because it's not so much that, because you're not experiencing it, obviously, it's you kind of feel helpless that somebody else has gone through this and there's nothing you can really do except like support and try and do extra things when you can and bring them stuff and try to be understanding

and supportive. And I think that so that it's kind of frustrating in that sense. It's not frustrating in like just get it together. Come on, woman, pop that baby out. Having like entered the room where you were getting your surgery. What's the baby pullout surgery? Caesarean. I know I said hysterectomy, but that's a whole other thing.

Yeah, just see like it all like, you know, like you're, you know. My guts are open on the table. Well, I didn't really say I would get a proper look. Or the blue shit. But yeah, exactly. But yeah, so it's, so I saw like what kind of was happening to you and what has happened to you and what happened the first time and all these other things.

So it is, it's really a sense of, yeah, I feel bad. So that's probably the long and the short of it, yeah. Not about parent would all up the dad. No, I like parent. I like being a parent. If I didn't want to be a parent, I wouldn't have had kids. I know I complain about it like nearly constantly, but I actually love it.

It's great. And if I was doing the same things I was doing in my early 20s, I wouldn't be happy. Like I was barely happy then. You know what I mean? Happy's like a high benchmark for you. Totally, yeah. I would say less cynical than before.

Yeah. So I don't know. I mean, yeah, whatever you do, you give up something. You know what I mean? You can't do literally everything. So you just kind of pick the path that you think is best for you, I guess. And I guess we're – I think we're doing okay in that regard.

Well, I think one of the things this book made me reflect on was how lucky we are to be in careers that we also feel like are creative and interesting and fulfilling. Sure, yeah. But I felt like that about teaching in lots of ways too. I think both of us are people that – Teaching's a whole other thing though. Like it's –

Yeah, it is. It's full on. It is. It's a lot. Like by the end, it really just burned me out. Yeah, and lose a teacher in the book too, which is really interesting. Yeah, it is. I didn't want to kind of keep doing it.

And luckily I had the option to leave, but I wonder whether I would have left anyway because I think if you're starting to get burnt out by it, you probably shouldn't stay. Totally. And what's kind of ironic is I think partly I thought teaching was great because it would be flexible when you have kids. Yeah, absolutely. And I actually think being a teacher and having kids would be incredibly difficult

because you are suddenly having to give a lot of yourself to your own kids as well as other people's kids. And I think when you've got really little kids, being a full-time classroom teacher would be incredibly difficult. And I take my hat off to teachers who are doing that. Yeah. But I guess what I was trying to say about that was that in this book, there's a lot

of frustration in Josh's character about having to give up on a life that he thought he might have, you know, like being a famous musician and playing in bands and living in a city and being cool and he has to give that up to move to the suburbs in a place he doesn't really like and work really long hours in a job that he is good at but, you know, isn't his passion. Is it Australian, this book? Yeah.

Yeah, right. And I just think that's a familiar story for a lot of people. Yeah, but what about for you though, having you take care of all these things and I haven't? You know, like I'm getting older but I haven't experienced what you've experienced like physically. Do you know what I mean? No, I don't know what you mean.

I'm saying that the way that you asked me how was it for me watching like you experience that, how is it for you watching me not having to deal with any of that stuff? Annoying. Yeah, I imagine it is. No, it's not. I would never for you watching me not having to deal with any of that stuff? Annoying. Yeah, I'd imagine it is. No, it's not. I would never want you to go through that. No, I know it.

Obviously, yeah. And Lou touches on that in the book, that it is frustrating and I can see this in friends of mine that I've spoken to as well about this exact thing. It is frustrating the amount, the toll that motherhood takes on our bodies. Yeah. Just even in terms of like the physicality of it and the way your body changes after having a baby and physically carrying a baby for nine months and then the birth and all

of the aftermath and the feeding and all of the things and just watching your partner or husband just stay the same. Yeah. Like physically. I mean, it's different because becoming a dad I think changes you in other ways obviously. Sure. I know.

We can say all that. It's a bloody ironing whatever. But it is frustrating and I think there's an underlying frustration in Lou's character that I identified with and I think a lot of my friends who've now had kids identify with because it would be, right? Totally, yeah. Not that you want your partner to go through that kind of pain or anything, but just the fact that it's on you.

It's something that you cannot understand as well. Yeah. I mean, like I can see the things that are happening to you and we can talk about it and whatever, but it's not the same as me actually experiencing them, you know? Yeah. I mean, I got my gallbladder out and I was in surgery for two days, so I've probably had at least one and a half times the birth in terms of pain.

Look, it was a lot. It was a lot. It was like the size of a small marble. Yeah. I don't even know how big it is. A bag of marbles, an apple, a small apple. Not as big as a ball sack. I don't know.

Yeah, there you go. You had a small ball sack removed from you and I had like a whole watermelon. Good thing they left the other bloody small ball sack. Am I right? Anyway, we should move on. We should really move on. Anyway, I just thought that was interesting. Okay.

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Hey, so it's sponsor time, James. Thank goodness. I'm sick of this episode. I just need a break. I want to break it up with some hot sponsored content. Well, you're in luck. Our sponsor this week is ExpressVPN. When you use the bathroom, you always close the door behind you, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't want random passers-by looking in on you. Actually, you don't.

You don't always close the bathroom door and I don't appreciate it, frankly. But I wouldn't do it at a random toilet, Claire. Well, anyway, why would you let other people look in on you when you can go online using the internet without ExpressVPN? It's like going to the bathroom and not closing the door, James. Oh, my goodness. That's so true.

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to get yourself some internet free safety. On with the show? On with the show. Terrific. Off you go. You have one about parenthood as well because I have a similar one here. It's called Raised by Wolves. It's on HBO.

It's created by Aaron Guzikowski. He wrote the movie Prisoners. I don't know if you've ever seen that with Hugh Jackman and Jacob Gyllenhaal. Oh, I did see that. Good movie, yeah. Excellent movie. I mean, The Jack is aal. Oh, I did see that. Good movie, yeah. Excellent movie. I mean, The Jack is a classic.

He's doing it every day. In a lot of things, yeah. It stars Amanda Collin, Abu Bakr Salim, Travis Fimmel. Some people might recognise from things. For example, Travis Fimmel is from Vikings. The TV show is in the first few seasons of that. So basically, speaking of parenthood, Claire has mentioned, two androids are tasked with raising human children

on a mysterious virgin planet. As a human colony threatens to be torn apart by religious differences, the androids learn that controlling the beliefs of humans is treacherous and difficult. So it's basically about two androids, one of which is this psycho-killing machine that's been reprogrammed to be like a nanny for children, has to raise these children from infancy and start this little farm on this other planet while they're fleeing

religious persecution because there was this divide between this like religious sect who are also escaping the planet and atheists essentially, right? So it's actually there's shades of Blade Runner and Alien in it, mostly in the android-y stuff. It's not like a sequel or anything set in that universe, but it is produced by Ridley Scott who directed those movies. So it's about the merging of technology and religion,

implications of like a war robot. It sounds – I'm loving so much. This is everything you recommend all of the time, all coming together in one. A war robot raising children and what does that cost? What does that do? Can a war robot raise a child? Turns out not very well.

But, yeah, it's cool. I like it. Yeah, of course you do. It's everything you love. It sounds a lot like, was it called Mother, that other show? It's called I Am Mother. I Am Mother. It's sort of like that, but, yeah, there's elements of that in it.

It's a bit – Comedic? Not really. Great performances though. Really compelling world building and it's really interesting. It's not fun but – Is it a movie? No, it's a series on HBO.

A series on HBO. So fire up your VPN if you're in Australia. HBO has a lot of good stuff on there. I wish they got it here. I know. Bloody Foxtel. I know. We've got to get the ExpressVPN out, peeps.

Get it bloody happening, mate. Get in on the HBOs. Yeah, Raised by Wolves. Get into it if you can. Get onto it. Yeah, it's good. Get Raised by Wolves. And the wolf in this case is being the psychotic war robot

that's raising children on an alien planet. And when she screams at you, you explode. Jesus. Yeah. Okay, I'm doing better than that. Yeah. Though sometimes recently in lockdown I have felt like a bloody alien robot. There is something funny about two robots who look like humans raising children

and talking to each other and they're like, what do you think we should do? And then they have arguments like a proper couple, but it's all about religious sex and how they're going to raise their children on this barren planet and whether they're poisoning them with radiation. But it's framed like domestic disputes. It's quite funny actually. That sounds really great actually.

And they named one of their kids Campion they're always like Campion Campion where are you Campion I told you Campion don't go close to the pit Campion I think that is a rule when you're naming kids that you have to yell the name out loud to double check Campion Campion Campion do you know what? That's funny actually. It reminds me of something that was said in I Give a Merch a Year that she says that couples really only ever have one fight. But it sounds like it's all about different things, but really the underlying premise is something like be better or you never do X, Y, Z.

Yeah, that makes sense. Or you know what I mean? Or just like an underlying whatever it is, it's always generally like the same fight. I thought that was interesting. Champion. So their fight is what have we poisoned our child with or something? Exactly.

Robots. All right. Is it my turn again? Absolutely it is. Excellent. All right. So going back to nostalgia walks, I've fallen deep down nostalgia pathways. I think maybe because lockdown is covering me in my house.

Everybody knows lockdown. And so I'm feeling nostalgic for reliving my 20s through various medias. And this time I'm rewatching a really old favourite, The Secret Life of Us. Oh, yes. Yes, it's a three-time Silver Logie Award winning Australian television drama set in the beachside suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne. There's all the things I love about Melbourne,

divy bars, crisp mornings, coffee, cozy cafes. You know, divy bars. You know, like moody lighting and like old rusty dodgy couches. Joel Edgerton. Joel Edgerton's in it. Good food rooftop parties and old friends hanging out. And it follows the lives of a group of 20-somethings as they navigate friendship, sex, love, relationships and careers.

It has four seasons. I think the first two are the best. First two are good and then some cast members start to leave. Joel Edgerton, people might know, he's a director now, but he was Aunt, not Aunt, he was Uncle Owen in the Star Wars breakers. He's in the movie Warrior. He's an MMA fighter. He's really great. Well, they're all great. It was Uncle Owen in the Star Wars prequels. He's in the movie Warrior. He's an MMA fighter. Yeah, he's really great.

He's great. Well, they're all great. Claudia Carvin. Oh, she's brilliant. Claudia Carvin is in so many great, Love My Way is another great show with her. And there's also Deborah Mailman who is brilliant. What was interesting too, she's an Indigenous Australian actor. At the time it was kind of made a big deal that she was cast in this show

and the fact that she's Indigenous is not mentioned once, which I think is like so fantastic because she's just another character and it's just exploring her life and love and sex and all of those things that she's, you know, career, everything. And she's so funny and charismatic in the show. It hasn't aged a day. Yeah. She was in that show that I recommended a while ago.

Yeah, what was that? It's a political drama. That Rachel Griffith. Yes. And I can't remember the name of it but she's so good in that. And that's coming – I think they're bringing out a second season of that show. She's really great.

Sabila Bhatt, Abby Tucker who's on Police School, which is a kid's show here, and Spencer McLaurin. So anyway, it's just a – oh, Samuel Johnson, really, really awesome. Yes, he narrates it. Yeah, he narrates it. So I thought it was interesting. It came out in 2001 and it has a lot of parallels to like a similar style to Sex and the City.

And Sex and the City was released in 1998 and finished in 2004, which was 16 years ago. My God. Yeah, that's crazy. That is crazy. This show started when I was in school. Yeah, that's crazy. That is crazy. This show started when I was in school. Yeah, and the soundtrack's really good too. It just brings me right back into a time.

Total Control, was it called? Yeah, Total Control. It's really, really good. Yeah, so it just makes me want to go back and hang out with my friends with zero responsibilities and go drinking till 3 o'clock in the morning and eat a kebab. Well, too bad. Even if you didn't have a kid, you couldn't do that. I know.

It's weird being nostalgic for a time that doesn't exist anymore. Absolutely it doesn't. And can't ever exist in that way. And it's not that I would want to go back, but it's nice to watch something and just get swept up in that feeling of being that kind of young again. What I also really liked is the writing immediately grabbed me. Sometimes you watch an old show and it really is not as good

as you remember. That happened with Dawson's Creek for me. It was terrible. Podcast dog, what are you doing out there barking away? She's probably barking at possums. But this show immediately the writing just grabbed me and the chemistry with the cast is so good. Yeah, it's really well cast.

Yeah, really well cast. And that's very noticeable when they start to leave and you're like, this isn't as good a show. Yeah, exactly. I was sad when I remembered they left because I've been enjoying them only in the first season and I've been really enjoying it. So I think I'll probably only last a couple of seasons. Once Claudia Carvin leaves, I don't know, I think I'll be out of there.

I think Joe Legend leaves first because that was around the time of the second Star Wars prequel. Oh, well, there you go. It makes sense actually. Yeah, and Samuel Johnson's character, Evan, is kind of a writer-narrator like Carrie Bradshaw is in Sex and the City. So it has sort of echoes. When your friends are close to your enemies, who are your real friends?

The Burgers are better at Hungry Jacks. He also narrates the Hungry Jacks. He does. He's got an interesting life. He's got a are your real friends? The burgers are better at Hungry Jacks. He also narrates the Hungry Jacks. He does. He's got an interesting life. He's got a fascinating life story. Yeah, he's really interesting. Well, that's why everybody in this does though. Everyone's got like this, have charted these really interesting careers

and quite varied as well. Yeah. Totally. Real lightning in a bottle kind of show. Yeah, it really was, especially those first two seasons with that cast. Especially because a lot of Australian dramas are shit. That's what I mean though. I reckon this is one of my favourite Australian shows

and it still holds up. The writing's really good. I think it's also it's a numbers game and there aren't as many Australian dramas as say the US or the UK, for example. Yeah, that's true. Oh, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, anyway, okay, your turn, my friends. Well, speaking of having a fun blast from the past, Claire.

Well, we're all nostalgic. I've been getting into some retro gaming because I don't know if you know this, it's actually Mario's. Did I know that you've just been playing Mario on King? Yes. It's Mario's 35th anniversary year, right? I think it's since the release of Super Mario Brothers, the original one, which you played today, which came out in 1985

on the Nintendo Entertainment System. And so I don't think I've – That's the sound that you get when you get the coins. That's not that. When you get like the stars. None of those are even close. Not at all. That's close.

No. I'm Mario. He doesn't actually talk in the first game that day. What's this melody? I can't even remember it. Which one? The song. The song that comes on. It was so melody? I can't even remember it. Which one? The song, the song that comes on.

It was so nostalgic. I had to go playing it. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do. Don't give up your day job. That's not even close. Yeah, that's it. Yeah. There's a number of.

Anyway, so I saw there was Nintendo do these things where they're called Nintendo Directs where they show like what's upcoming and because it's a big year for Mario, they're re-releasing and re-releasing a bunch of new and old stuff. And one of the things they're releasing is a Nintendo Game & Watch. I don't know if you remember them. They're like these little – like before Game Boys but they're just a very simple kind of – This is an audio medium but James basic like you know like just really simple games what they've done they've re-releasing one

with the original Super Mario Brothers on there and some other extra stuff and I was like I have to get that or I'm going to shoot myself like this is like I've already had this when I was a kid I'm gonna you know I would have gone absolutely insane because you couldn't get something like that with a full-color screen. And then I missed the date to purchase it. So now they're like $230 on eBay and I'm like I refuse to pay that much money. Even though I can afford it at the moment, I'm not going to do it. So anyway, I downloaded the original game on the Switch and started playing it through.

And I'm like, okay, this is giving me my fix. I don't need this thing anymore because it was really like driving me insane. I kept going, like checking different websites. I'm like, oh, this is giving me my fix. I don't need this thing anymore. Because it was really like driving me insane. I kept like going, like checking different websites. I'm like, oh, I could get it here, but no, it's too much. What if my purchasing doesn't send it to me? Because maybe, because it's a pre-order, there's only limited options or whatever. So anyway, I played through that and then I beat it. I'm like, okay, I don't need to buy that anymore.

And then I completed Super Mario Brothers 3. So I'm kind of going through all the old ones that I hadn't really played before, that I hadn't really beaten before. And they're amazing. They're incredible games. They're so precise and they're so well engineered because a lot of the games in that era or any era really are just garbage. Like Duck Hunt?

Duck Hunt's great. Don't get me bloody stout on Duck Hunt. So there's something to the precision and the music and the simplicity of the character and all of those things that work so well. And this Friday, which I've pre-ordered, which I am getting, they're re-releasing three of the 3D Mario games on the Nintendo Switch.

I don't think I've ever seen you this animated. And you know what's going to happen? You look like you've got like a little kid on your phone. I'll play it and I'll be like, this is excited, Claire. It's so exciting. It's animated. And you know what's going to happen, like, all things. You look like you've got, like, a little kid on your phone. I'll play it and I'll be like, this is fine, whatever. I thought this had fixed the broken hole in my heart, but it's not actually. I'm still the same person. But it's Mario 64, which is a really pioneering 3D platforming game,

Super Mario Sunshine and then Super Mario Galaxy. Because I don't know if you remember this, Claire, in the 90s. They released Mario All-Stars, which is a compilation of the first three Mario Brothers games. in addition to Mario Lost Levels, which is the super secret sequel which was never initially released in the West. You know what's happened here, guys? James has all these kind of like massive pockets of knowledge

in his head and we've accidentally, or he's on purpose, exploded one and we could be here for a very long time. Trust me, people who love this stuff are like, you're speaking my language and I love everything that you're saying. There's somebody that I've tapped into right now who's like, yes. Yeah. I love retro gaming though. Like I spend a lot of time genuinely on YouTube just watching like,

I've mentioned one before, like the gaming historian, like watching documentaries about like retro games and like the history of Punch Out, like the video game franchise and all this different stuff because I just find it fascinating. I find it super fascinating for some reason. I think it's because I grew up in that era. Yeah, and also that was the only thing you ever wanted was a handheld gaming device.

And I got an Atari Lynx. You did. Which is good. Which your mum still can't believe she bought. You must have just harassed her and harassed her. I just want – I said it was either a Sega Game Gear, Atari Lynx or a Game Boy. But I'm like I don't want a Game Boy because I hate the –

because they're the color. I wanted a color one. So I ended up getting Atari Lynx and I loved it. It's got Batman Returns on it. I still got it somewhere in my parents' house. Anyway, yeah, I would only play video games exclusively if I could. But it ruins your life if you play it all the time. Yeah, correct.

I think that was our one fight that we had through most of our 20s. We were just getting started when I was 19. It was mostly about you just sitting around in your jocks playing video games. And now it's paid off, hasn't it? I know, goddammit. All my complaining about you. Suck in your jocks playing video games. And now it's paid off, hasn't it? I know. God damn it. All my complaining about you. Suck in.

Get up and do something. Because you were like, why don't you get a degree in accounting? And I'm like, this will come in handy one day. Watch, I have to complete Super Mario World. I know because I think accountants are sexy or something. Nothing wrong with accountants. Kieran, for example, a listener of this show. Yeah.

He's a lovely guy. He's an accountant. I mean, Jess Perkins hates him him but we think he's great. We do. We do think he's excellent. Yeah. Oh, goodness me. Anyway, I'm really excited for Super Mario 3D All-Stars.

The compilation of games are two of which I've never played before and I haven't really ever beaten Super Mario 64 as well so I'm excited to go back. All right, all right. Can we move on? I love the polygonal style. Like a lot of games from that era have it. What would you?

Polygonal. What is that? Like polygons because a lot of the first. Like a lot of games from that era have it. Polygonal. What is that? Like polygons. Like polygamous? No. No, Claire. A lot of the games from that era from when games transitioned from 2D, 3D, they've got like a real rough jankiness to them.

But some of them are quite beautiful including, I believe, Super Mario 64. All right. Okay. And on that note, can I talk about something else? No, that's the end of the show. Look at the time. All right. Okay. All right. Okay. And on that note, can I talk about something else? No, that's the end of the show. Look at the time. All right. Okay.

All right. Okay. Fine. Okay. What are you going to say about reviews? Yeah. So you can review the show. You can just do it in an app.

You can open up your app and you can give us five stars if you want. Don't review this episode. He just banged on about video games. Nah, trust me. If this is your jam, put it in a review. Put it in a jam pot and eat it for your breakfast. This is from John Joe Swanson. Five stars. Thank you. It's so easy to do an app. It says you should probably move, which is a reference to my other podcast, my more successful one.

You should probably move from whatever podcast you're listening to to this one. But let's be real. You're listening to James' more successful pod. So finish that episode first and then start listening to this because it's good too. Is that patronizing or nice? No, it's nice to me. Yeah, I know. Not to me. It's always as bad as a review that was like, Claire is annoying, but it's okay.

There's no review that says Claire is annoying. But it's fun to listen to her annoy James and I agree. It is fun. All right. I also, I don't know what happened to my voice then. I'm so sorry. So you can also email the show at suggestreport.com. Oh, my God.

Do we even have any emails this week though? We've got so many emails and I've got one here. This is from Steve. Hi, Steve. Hey, Claire, and by Proxy James. Everyone knows the gig is up. You never read the emails. I hope you're doing well in your mega lockdown.

I really appreciated your dive into music last week and I wanted to share two songs which really had an impact on me. The artist's name is Elliot Park and the songs are The Old Man and the Clock and The Soldier and the Oak. The Old Man and the Clock? Yes. I appreciate music today with lyrics that tell a story and these songs are so beautifully descriptive and engrossing. You can see everything play out in front of you. They really made me stop and think about life and the idea that everyone was put on earth for a reason. We might just not know it yet. Everyone? Well, your reason is to play video games, I'm assuming. Thus, I wanted to share them with you, particularly the depiction

of the old man almost confronting the clock as if he has a secret. The lion, little tin hands pulling empires down. I'm on to you now. From old man and the clock. I hope you guys are staying safe and best wishes from the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania. Thank you so much, Steve.

And do you know what, Steve? I really loved this song. It was like a gift. I just heard it in the right time. It's such a beautiful song. I think Collings should play a little bit of it at the end. Collings is going to record his own version of it and play it at the end. The Old Man and the Clock.

It's absolutely stunning. I know this song. It goes like this. Help, I'm stuck in this clock. Somebody's built a clock around me in my sleep. I woke up inside a clock. All right. There you finish.

There's a little cuckoo clock door that he can pop open and put his eye out and go, help me. And people are like, is there a fucking old man in that clock? All right. Somebody built a clock around that old man. Can I keep going on with my very touching and beautiful moving song? When it gongs on the hour, it's really loud in here. It's not as bad for you on the outside, but in this clock, it's a nightmare.

There are a door. I don't want to wreck the clock getting out of it. Sorry, go on. I'm gone. They're a door. I don't want to wreck the clock getting out of it. Sorry, go on. Can you at least lie it down so I don't have to stand? Anyway, sorry, go on. Oh, God. How did he get in the clock? How did he, James?

That is where we're going to finish. We're both losing our minds. Anyway, I actually went and deep-dived into Elliot Park after this. He doesn't live in a clock. I didn't think he did. But he is this kind of like kind of nerdy dad and his music is just so sweet and gorgeous. He's a country singer really but it's sort of folksy

and kind of moves across genres. I'd really recommend going into his Spotify. And he's actually also released The Man in the Clock is the album Flyboy, but he's also recently released, or more recently in 2018, a kid's album called Just Be. Because we've been talking about parenthood, I wanted to read you the lyrics. It's so sweet. This song is one called Always and it goes like this.

Like Bon Jovi's Always? No, Always. Two words, two words, two words, two words. I'll be there till the stars don't shine till the heavens burst. Wish you could see his face. And the words don't rhyme when I die. You'll be on my mind. Your eyes are closed.

That I love you. All right, let me read the lyrics. Sorry, go on. We both know good lyrics. You've really missed your calling. You've sung a lot in this episode. Thank you. You should get out there more.

No, we can't. Like you can judge me for singing in an episode. Yeah. Sorry, go on. I haven't opened up my musical stylings today. You literally started the show with a song. Oh, yeah. I'm so sorry.

Anyway, always, at your worst, at your best, stinky feet, hair in a mess, always, always. Chocolate ice cream on your face, blue ribbon smile, or in last place, always, always. In all your odd ways, your big and small ways, straight and cross ways, pink or blue, no matter what they say, no matter what you do, any and always, I'm for you. Very good.

I know. I just thought it was really sweet. I mean, it's not Bon Jovi Always, but the song Always is also a good song. Anyway, if you have kids, I think it's just a really sweet album. There's lots of really fun songs on there. But really, my main song is The Man and the Clock. The one that Collins is going to re-record. Correct.

He's going to re-record. He'll play a bit. It's really beautiful. It makes me sad because the tickety time is a ticking away and we're still bloody stuck in this lockdown. I know. As I said to you and maybe I've said this on this show, aging shouldn't count like in this year.

Like it shouldn't add to your biological clock. It's really unfair. It's like we're all on pause except Except we're ageing horribly, especially you. Especially me. I know. Believe me, I get the comments every day. You're older than I thought. Am I?

Sorry. Fuck. Is that when you did your wonderful trick, your magic trick? I get a plethora of comments on how I look. Yeah, James just recently in a YouTube video on Mr. Sunny Movies, his YouTube channel, put in a magic trick from Tom Cruise from Mission Impossible. And it's really bloody impressive.

Big shout out to Sila Magic for teaching me how. It is really impressive and you did it. It took you a lot of time to do it. And you can tell because when you watch it, you look insane. Which is what I was going for. But also I'm like, is this too insane? It was a little insane. I was going for some Tom Cruise intensity, but it's very off-putting.

Anyway, next week I'm going to do something even more extreme. Were you trying to be Tom Cruise? Well, you want that Tom Cruise intensity in your eyes. That's what I was going for. Yeah, okay. Is that why you've grown your hair? No, I'm growing my hair because I'm fucking stuck indoors. And hairdressers are shut.

That's right. All right. Oh, well. One day you'll have luxurious hair like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2. I'll never have hair like that. I did not realise he did his own stunts. That blew me away when you made me watch that goddamn show. I have a theory that he just wants to die,

but he wants to do it in the most spectacular way. No, that's you. Oh, yeah. That's right. I'm just talking about you. Oh, yeah, that's right. That's your entire model. I'm just talking about myself. Oh, God. All right, see you next time, suckers. See you next time, suckers.

No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You guys are great. Thanks for listening. Goodbye. Thank you to Colleen. We've been Suggestible Pod. We certainly have now.

Goodbye. Tickety-tockety, kitchen clock goes. Bye. Thank you to Colleen. We've been suggestible, bud. We certainly have, haven't we? Goodbye. Tickety-tockety, kitchen clock goes. Help, I'm stuck in this clock. Somebody's built a clock around me in my sleep. You're not fooling me for one minute, you know. I woke up inside a clock. When it gongs on the hour, it's really loud in here. Casually melting cathedrals like snow.

Is there a door? I don't want to wreck a clock getting out of it. Sorry, go on. Looking so coy. It's not as bad for you on the outside, but in this clock, it's a nightmare. I'm going. This podcast is part of the planet broadcasting network visit planet broadcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates i mean if you want it's up to you hi i'm jesse crookshank from the number one comedy podcast phone a friend which

i strongly advise you listen to. You know what else I suggest you look into? Becoming a host on Airbnb. Did you like that segue? Thank you. I recently started putting my guest house on Airbnb when I'm out of town, and I didn't realize how easy it would be until I did it. If you have a spare room, you could Airbnb it, or your whole place could be an Airbnb. It's a great way to make a little extra money by doing not a lot, which frankly is my mantra in 2024. To learn more, go to airbnb.ca slash host.