The Big Picture - ‘Monkey Man’ Is Here! Plus, the Top Five 21st Century Directorial Debuts.

Episode Date: April 5, 2024

Sean and Amanda dig into the successes and shortcomings of this week’s biggest release at the box office: Dev Patel’s directorial debut, ‘Monkey Man’ (1:00). They discuss, among other things, the unique action put to screen and the movie’s rumored behind-the-scenes studio management. Then—after casually losing their sanity for 15 minutes in the middle of the podcast—they discuss the best directorial debuts of the 21st century (42:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nathan Hubbard! Spring has sprung, the birds are chirping, and the pop girls are pop-girling. Oh, and you know what that means, Nora Princiati. Every single album is back! This spring is packed with new releases from some of the biggest pop stars in the world, including our girl Taylor Swift, and we'll be covering it all. We'll of course break down every angle on the Tortured Poets department, and we'll also cover new music from Beyoncé, Dua Lip maggie rogers casey musgraves and ariana grande it's pop girl spring on every single album new episodes starting march 28th on spotify or wherever you get your podcasts

get groceries delivered across the gta from real Real Canadian Superstore with PC Express. Shop online for super prices and super savings. Try it today and get up to $75 in PC Optimum Points. Visit Superstore.ca to get started. I'm Sean Fennessey. I'm Amanda Dobbins. And this is The Big Picture, a conversation show about Monkey Man. Today we're talking about Dev Patel's scintillating directorial debut, the Indian action epic Monkey Man. We're also going to talk about our favorite directorial debuts of the 21st century.

This Dev film has been long in the waiting. It started filming quite a long time ago. It has since changed studios. But I'm curious to see how it stacks up relative to your favorites over the years. I mean, you're not the biggest action movie fan in the world. You like when a lizard punches an ape. I do. And I like intention. And I like a lot of style. So, you know, we're going to, I think we'll say John Wick a few times. Yeah, for sure. During this podcast. And John Wick has said in the film Monkey Man,

so it is aware of its influences, at least visually. So I do respond to that a little bit more than I respond to... I like it when monsters punch each other. Normal dudes punching each other. Just kind of two brute guys going at it. My mind starts wandering. Well, let's talk about Dev first. Yeah.

Because... That makes a huge difference. It does. I think it does. It really does. I think it does. I think one of the reasons why John Wick is so successful is because Keanu Reeves is a beloved screen presence.

And we have a lot of baggage with Keanu. And so seeing him go through the toll of the John Wick experience is both punishing but also very rewarding as a viewer. Dev Patel obviously doesn't have as long of a track record as a movie star. But I was thinking about something that you said when we talked about the Wes Anderson short films. And watching him in a Wes Anderson short, you were like, oh man, he just fit like a glove into that world. And that is kind of a safe space for Dev Patel.

That's how we think of him. He's erudite. He's dashing. He's very verbal. He's got a safe space for Devatel. That's how we think of him. He's erudite. He's dashing. He's very verbal. He's got a great amount of charm to him. Even when he's in something historically that is more physical, more visceral, more adventuresome, like the Green Knight, it's still kind of an intellectual exercise in the vein of that kind of work. He really hasn't done anything quite like Monkey Man before. But I know you're a big fan of his. So like, where do you, how do you think of him?

In this movie or just in general? Well, I mean, he is a soulful heartthrob. He's just incredibly handsome and has the sort of fills this screen presence. So you're right that you can tell that there is like something behind the eyes. He's like a thoughtful, handsome guy. And there are varying types.

And it's not often that the thoughtful, handsome guys are the guys punching. Very rare. Right. And he also, even like his physical build and his physical presence

is very different from Jason Statham on the screen. He's more your type type he's a tall skinny guy oh yeah with heavy eyes yeah yeah and that's why i absolutely loved him in this movie like i and to me he was the you know the the reason to see it but there is like even a balletic quality to the way that he is going through these action scenes that I found very beautiful. And slightly different than what you're normally seeing. The way that he moves and rides through,

whether it's a boxing ring or an aquarium, to me, it worked. It was different, but he sold that part of it. Yeah, I agree. I think it's a really interesting project, and maybe it helps to talk through some of the background before getting into the key parts of the story. It was originally greenlit as a $30 million movie by Netflix. I think it was greenlit, you know, in that 1920-21 time when Netflix was kind of greenlighting a lot of movies in the Scott Stuber era. They were making 60, 70, 80 movies a year you could see on paper the incredible appeal of something like this one because netflix has this um brand in action that's born of like the extraction movies where you've got globe trotting heroes who are well known from other film franchises or other film successes beating the shit out of people with like just the slightest veneer of prestige but not enough there's not really a veneer of prestige in that

one there is like craftsmanship sure maybe you're like well these people at least like know what they're doing but there is a lot of you know in that movie and there is there's a lot of gnarly shit in monkey man but there is something less brute force about a lot of the action. It's intended to be a little more elevated. of the gods of Hindu culture and exploring some of those and also exploring really some of the social structure of India and the caste system and the way that class operates. And he's trying to do something that is hard to do, which is to create a kind of social intellectual intention behind a very visceral kind of dumb movie, a movie that is meant to satisfy our base impulses

of dudes punching each other and stabbing each other with broken furniture. And I really admire the intention. Now, the movie went into production. It was a very difficult production, clearly, because it was happening during COVID and also because Dev broke his hand during the production. He's a first-time filmmaker.

He's trying to do something very elaborate. And I will say, the way that he makes this movie is a little bit different than the kind of fight movies that i've seen in the past and a little bit different from wick even though the wick influence is clear it's a little bit different from bruce lee which he's been citing quite a bit on his press tour a little bit different than the junk fights that chris ryan and i talked about there is something about his size and build that is framing the fighting a little bit differently. So you can kind of feel them feeling their way through it in this movie, where they're trying to do something that looks and feels new while also paying homage to something.

I think there's some trickiness, some pitfalls in making movies this way, when you don't totally know how to make the movie that you're making. Yeah. Though to me... So can you're making yeah though to me so so can we talk about what happened to this movie because i think it's so talk about it so instrumental to to talking about the movie itself it's none of this is like officially confirmed right but but you read between the lines pretty much anywhere it was at netflix um and at some point it moved to Universal.

Jordan Peele became attached as a producer. And, you know, according to hearsay, like, quote unquote, saves the movie and makes it something that Universal is willing to release. Theatrically, yes. Theatrically, yes. Theatrically, yes. And then, and part of the, the part of the scuttlebutt of why Netflix was not to attach to it is because there are some

pretty clear, at least in the final result, references to India's current political situation. And India is a big market for Netflix. And I think they just maybe didn't want to go there politically. So I will say the finished product, it definitely, and listen, I'm by no means an expert on the Indian political scene, but there is a very modi-like figure and it is there are scenarios in terms of like a

like a hindu nationalist reigning party and then um you know smaller villages or people who are not a part of that party being um oppositional yeah and not being served by the major party we're like okay so i see some parallels here but they've also clearly they've fictionalized the party they've fictionalized the city even and they're trying to like keep an arm's length from this and so i maybe it's because i knew the history all of that but this movie to me is like very clearly chopped up you know it's just like very very clearly they went back in and we're like here's what we've got and here's how we're going to put it together to make it work and you know there's really great stuff in it and i also really like the ambition of it and i was and it's you can follow it you know they like put it back together enough that i was like sure but you

can just see i mean you can see like the very fast editing style but you like which is you know maybe some of the learn learning how to make an action sequence in real time but then you can just also see narratively and thematically like they They took a lot of pieces and put them together. I think you've diagnosed it perfectly. That's exactly my experience of the movie. I think that the highs of the movie are incredibly high, and they're very promising for Dev Patel as a filmmaker. Most of the fight sequences work really well. Structurally, it feels like a script that was like 175 pages, and you can feel 70 of those pages getting cut out in this version of the movie. I've watched a lot of conversations and

interviews with Dev Patel about this movie. I watched one interesting one between he and Jordan Peele where you can feel Dev Patel without outright saying it, saying, thanks for helping with the pacing of my movie because I wonder how long the Netflix cut of this movie was. Right. Because it has been trimmed and in some cases sharpened, but in some cases things are removed that are maybe will create

a little bit of confusion when you're watching or slowing the movie down when you don't want the movie to slow down. In the second act of this movie, the movie really slows down quite a bit. We have this big bracing. It's a revenge story.

This is a story about a young man who has experienced a deeply traumatic thing with his family where, you know, in his village, the reign of terror from this Modi-like figure

and his government and police force is singed into his brain. And he's from a very, very low class in this society. And he takes a job in a restaurant, essentially just to get in like a club, restaurant, hotel kind of atmosphere. He seeks a job at the restaurant. To get close to

the levers of power. And the first act of the movie, he makes a kind of overenthusiastic attempt to seek his revenge, and he's not quite ready to do so. And then the rest of the film is about the system to kind of build himself up to become this Hanuman, this mythological figure, the monkey man, so that he can actually exact their revenge in the way that he wants to and kind of tear down the system from the inside out. It's a movie we've seen many, many times before in this style. The film is...

I agree with you that it feels like they've located three or four things about this movie that work so brilliantly. And they're just trying to emphasize them in a deep way to cover up some of the things that don't work so well. That being said, I still had a really fun time with it. You know, I still think it works really well. I think it is definitely flawed, but it shows somebody who's thinking about these movies in the way that I want them to be thinking about them, which is that they're not just

disposable archetypes to move through $4.99 at the rental office or to stream your movie. He was trying to make something. He did make something. Genuinely cinematic, genuinely exciting,

genuinely propulsive at times. And I think also something that is in some ways revealing of the culture that is so meaningful to him. And in some ways, I'm quite curious to see how the general audience will accept these long kind of discursive moments of memory about experience with his mother or the exploration of Hanuman and Hinduism and the figures that dominate the religion. I'm not sure. The movie is tracking to do pretty well. The other thing is that it is Dev Patel in just like a, you know, a kick-ass, like, let's put this knife in some really grotesque places. And, like, it is is there is some gross gross stuff and i was in a theater with a lot of like grown dudes who are just like squirming and like

at parts which is good right that is what these movies are supposed to do so there there is just like a completely visceral reactive quality to this movie that i think people will like and if they you, you know, your mind wanders a little bit during the flashbacks, though, I thought those, that the actor who plays his mother is very beautiful and moving, you know, she only gets to be in flashback, but that's okay. What did you think of the rest of the cast of the movie? Like, Charlton Copley plays a, he's the only probably well-known figure, I think, to American audiences. Dev Patel made a movie with Neil Blomkamp.

Charlton Copley, of course, got his start, at least in our eyes, in District 9. He plays a kind of, like, carnival barker figure in this fight club space. So that's one other aspect of the story that we're not talking about, which is that the Hanuman is, like, basically Tyler Durden as well. Right. And like his origin story is like he's training as the monkey man in the fight clubs of this fictional city. And that's like where you really start to feel the chopping, you know, because sometimes they, and they're cool fights, I guess.

He gets thrown into a table at one point. That looks like that hurts. And they're also cool as the film goes on in terms of how they use his size to his advantage and that

is exciting sometimes you're like why am I still here and why like at one point there's a young boy

who shows up and bets all of his money on the monkey man and then wins a lot of money sorry spoiler but I'm like who is that and bets all of his money on the monkey man and then wins a lot of money sorry spoiler um but i'm like who is that and where's that money going well i think i thought that money was going to the monkey man i think it was but like i wasn't really sure for a while do you know what i mean because at some point it just it kind of comes out of nowhere or where did that money

come from was that the money's that was from like the temple that rehabilitated him you know what you know at some point you're you're not following all the plot points it's not totally linear but you get the gist yeah i think that the things that recommend it are like the fight choreo is really cool there's very few guns in this movie it is a real hand-to-hand movie um so it is not like john wick the john wick Wick thing is reductive. I mean, John Wick is gun-fu. I mean, most of the fighting that takes place in John Wick is guys shooting guns at each other

and then blocking bullets with suit jackets. You know, like, there is plenty of good hand-to-hand combat in the movies, but it's a very different kind of thing. This is really more in the vein of, in some ways, the raid, in some ways, the Bruce Lee movies, or the Shaw brothers, Japanese martial arts films. There's plenty of like Michael Jai White, like boxing movies that you can feel the influence of. But because he's so tall and so skinny, there's like the armpit angle is the way it has been described to me where

it's like the camera is sort of like up to his armpit and you're seeing it from that vantage point so it's like it's almost it's not from it's not eye level it's like chest level action which I'm not sure I've like totally quite seen before in this very specific way and that might seem like an overread of something but I've heard him talk about it a little bit so I know that it's not and I don't know if that's a full-blown innovation, but it felt new to me watching the movie take place from that vantage point. Because the way that the camera captures and uses his frame and his particular body, which is also new-ish in this situation, is noticeable. And there's like a fluidity to it that i really like to you know the more more

it looks like dancing with just like bloods burning everywhere the better for me yeah but it does it does seem like the the camera is adjusting to the particularness of of his build the other movie i thought of a little bit while watching this was Die Hard because it is kind of like one guy in a building fighting every other person in that building. Of course, the Ray does this as well.

Yeah. Judge Dredd does this. Like, we've seen this trope before, but I wouldn't say that Dev's character, whose name is Kid, has the same charm

as John McClane, but it is a very similar kind of... He doesn't talk very much. He does not speak very much. Is that disappointing to you? No, it's,

I mean, he, he holds the camera in other ways. It's, there's not a lot, a huge amount of dialogue in this. There's not, there are,

you know, kind of archival or, or fake news reports. Other, apparently some of the footage is also real. Um, there's like a lot of multimedia stuff, but people speaking to each other they primarily

speak through their fists do you think that stuff was done after the film moves to universal yeah because it is i mean it's a lot of transitional and also um it's all you know vague and not saying anything real about the real world right and i i do wonder whether the original script was a little more specific it's very possible it's very i don't know what else did you like about it there's a great sequence early on and the reason i was like no he looks for that job is because the sequence in which he gets this setup and he basically stages like an elaborate almost like city-wide heist of this woman's wallet in order to then be

able to return the wallet to her um and ask for a job but i mean it must be like 50 people and it's one like zooming sequence through the city with handoffs and lots of like tricky you know camera angles to make it seem like one fast move. And that's the thing where the pacing, the fast pacing really worked for me. And it just like kind of widened the scope of the whole movie in a way that I thought was fun. Yeah. I really liked that part too. I like the training montage too. There's definitely like a real Rocky moment in the movie when he gets taken into this temple. And in the temple, we see a punching bag you know a fight bag and Zakir Hussain shows up who played with Ravi Shankar and plays the tabla and while playing the tabla we see kid

learning how to be a great warrior right and he's like setting the pace and kid is hitting it's no it's like super cool scene yeah it's all At one point, he like takes off his shirt. And then all the other people in the temple start cheering. Yeah, it's great. Yeah. I was like, I wish the movie had like a little bit more of this. There's like a, that's like a popcorn scene. Yeah.

And I think it's missing a couple more moments like that. So, you know, there aren't a ton of cuts there. Like that is clearly one scene that was like originally. And they were like, okay, we got this. You know, this is like a special moment that the clearly one scene that was like originally and they were like okay we got this you know this is like a special moment that the rest of the movie is like kind of built around yeah but you can tell that that was always there and in like some ways is sort of the guiding light of or you know it's like it is what this movie could be that's a it's a crucial moment in the film.

I mean, you can kind of feel him figuring out in real time, maybe in part because you can feel the movie being chopped up a bit, as you said, him figuring out how to be a filmmaker. You know, like, it's very rare to see that. And that is something that in some ways Netflix allowed for because Netflix created so many movies and so many people got to, like, figure out how to make a movie or not make a movie, as it were. This is definitely more slick because it has that heavy cutting

that it feels like you can feel it. As people who watch movies all day long, we can probably feel it more intensely. As I said, I'm very curious to see how general audiences respond to it. But it's also like every two to three months, there should be a big hand-to-hand combat action movie with a big movie star like we talked about the beekeeper like weirdly excitedly um and that remains one of the biggest movies of 2024 stupid movie um it was very very stupid and like all of the sort of like

integrity and desire to tell a sincere story about how the society in india works that devtel brings to it. Like, Jason Statham's brought none of that to the paper. No, instead he's just like, what if Hillary Clinton fathered QAnon? Incredible bit. One of the best bits ever. But he was really concerned about that phishing scheme. He just didn't want the old lady to get her bank account phished.

Can you just show up to Phishing Scheme's headquarters? Like, is that easy to track down? Because he found it pretty quick. He just like rolled up. Remember when he just rolled up and the security guard was like, you can't come in here. Are Phishing Schemes like really

like five days a week in office? You know what I'm saying? That seems like the king of remote work. So Steve Cohen, the owner of the New York Mets, in an interview on CNBC yesterday said he believes we're moving towards a four-day work week. What do you think about that?

But a four-day in-person or just a four-day work week? He didn't really mention that. Okay. In what context? Was he complaining about people coming to work or not coming to work? Or was he complaining about... He wasn't complaining. Okay.

I think he was just noticing a trend in the American spirit. Okay. complaining I think he was just noticing a trend in the American spirit okay he does these interviews every once in a while where he just comments on a variety of things that have to do with money and work just because he has money I guess how does this relate to his stewardship of the Mets this year so far a lot of people making the same joke that they work no days a week so it doesn't really matter for them yeah well so it's really that bad what's the record I didn't google this the team is 0-4 right now. They haven't won?

They haven't won a game. They're actually playing right now. They're in the 10th inning. Oh. They sure are. They were winning. Okay.

Who against? The Detroit Tigers, which I would say one of the more abundant franchises in Major League Baseball right now. They're all right this year.

They're off to an okay start. They have some solid pitching. I would not say their lineup is to be feared. What time did the game start? Well, they have a doubleheader today because they've had two games rained out. Okay.

So maybe that's messing with their... It's April. You know? Like, does that count? It certainly counts. Yeah, these games all count. But like, there are a lot of games. You know what I'm saying?

They play 162. Right. And I assure you, the Mets will only be playing 162 this year. No, it's bad. It's bad. I mean, it's... Doomer Sean is back.

He's back. We're so back. Well, you know, it's not bad. Can I proffer my theory? Please. I asked. I haven't shared this with Bobby yet. We've hardly discussed the Mets at all this season.

Mercifully. Mercifully by my account. Yeah. I mean, I don't intend to talk about the Mets a lot this year, but I'll just get this out right now on the record Mets have a new president of baseball operations

his name is David Stearns very smart fellow came from Milwaukee where he built a very successful small market baseball club there's another David Stearn in sports right

David Stearn was the commissioner of the NBA for many years but that's a different David Stearn a magnificently draconian yes I mean that's why I know him

yeah the New York Mets have David Stearns plural with an S at the end. Oh, okay, thank you. And an A in the middle. Yeah, you got to enunciate. So David Stearns, I think, doesn't believe in the core of this Mets team at all and is actually actively leading a short-term failure plan

to offload some of the aging veterans that he does not believe in. Is that called tanking? It's not quite a tank. Because it's not. Is tanking only draft related? It's primarily draft related. Who is the aging core of the Mets at this juncture?

Do you still have Max Scherzer? Max Scherzer was traded to the Texas Rangers last year. Oh, that's right. And then he pitched to, yeah, that's right. Amanda went for the original German pronunciation there.

Max Scherzer. He used to be a Dodger and that's how I knew about him when I used to be able to watch Dodgers games before the extreme antitrust violations that no one

will investigate. Like, what the fuck? I pay hundreds of dollars. I'm going to circle back to the Meta Hour. And I just want to be able, and I pay fucking taxes for the stadium and all that shit. And I just want to be able to pay more money to turn on the Dodgers game. And I don't want to have to switch to Spectrum Mobile. What happened to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, Amanda?

I agree. I swear to God. Why can't anyone investigate this? Who's going to investigate it? ProPublica? Inspector Clouseau? I've been sending- ProPublica.

Yes. It's seriously, this is in the public interest. Yeah. This is- If you and Chris are going to figure it out after you figure out who did the golf thing. You are firmly in the zone of Hillary Clinton crying about Oscar nominations right now. That Dodgers, not being able to watch Dodgers games is something ProPublica should be spending its time on. I'm not tying me not being able to watch Dodgers games to my historic political and public service failure.

And also possibly war crimes that I've committed. I just am tying it to, I would like to be able to pay money. By war crimes, do you mean your Oppenheimer takes? Yeah. Okay, so Max. Max is gone. There's four guys.

Okay, there's four guys. There's four guys. The four guys are- David Wright, retired. David Wright is retired. He's been retired for seven years. More than that, eight years. Is Thor still on the team?

Thor is not on the team. Thor, I think, is out of baseball right now. Oh, no. Elbow or knee? Shoulder. General degeneration, I think, is really his issue. No, it's Brandon Nimmo. It's Pete Alonso.

It's Jeff McNeil. And it's Francisco Lindor. These are the four guys who put their fourth season together. Pete Alonso is the home run McNeil, and it's Francisco Lindor. These are the four guys who for the last— Oh, okay. This is their fourth season together. Pete Alonso's the home run guy. He is the home run guy. And Lindor is the guy that Bobby tweets a lot about.

I think that's true. I'm not making a judgment on any of those four players. All four of those players at various times have given me great joy. They're all between the ages of 29 and 31 right now. There are some Mets fans who would describe them as gutless and unable to perform in the big spot. I'm not saying I'm saying that.

I'm just saying other people are saying that. But I have a theory that David Stearns is like, these guys are not the ones. He thinks they're gutless. He might. Or he thinks that

they're just not up to it. That they're not actually the way to build around the team. But the Mets, all of a sudden in the last two years, have a very exciting farm system, very promising farm system. They made a lot of trades last year that really bolstered that farm system. They have a bunch of kids that you're like, wow, this could be something two to three years from now. And I think he knows that.

And I think he knows the best way to get the payroll down and to spend more money on pitching and to develop a better lineup is he's going to like soft tank this year and maybe even next year and get some of those guys out of there. Bob, what do you think? The real problem is that they haven't developed a starting pitcher since 2016. So that's nice that he wants to upgrade all of those. And like they have a farm system full of some good position players and exciting outfielders. But if they don't have any pitchers, it doesn't matter.

Like I think that, I don't know, I've been on the record as a david stern skeptic but i don't need to go further into depth on that i'm just really still beaming well i'm frustrated that brett baity can't get a bunt down right now off to the side of my screen as i'm watching over here in the bottom of the 10th but i'm really just still beaming with the joy of amanda's antitrust rant against sportsnet inviting pro publica to look it up i'm i could not be more on board with any idea that's ever come across the big pictures airwaves. I mean, you want people to read all your tax stories, have them also read something that they care about. You know what I'm saying?

Sure. So you're programming ProPublica just for the local LA residents? I'm just offering. Listen, the regional sports networks are a junta across the station. A failing junta across the station. Yes, they are. That's right. But, you know, listen, every week I open up the new sports puck newsletter, and I'm like, is this the day that they tell me this?

You've been reading John Oran? Yes, I have. Oh, because I want to know whether this, but I don't know who any of the names are. Are you just like soft promoting your appearance on the press box this week? Is that what's going on here? No, I just, I want to watch the Dodgers here i'm so tired of basketball my son likes basketball i don't want to watch it i want him to play baseball not basketball bobby did we tell you we think he's left-handed so oh that is that's huge right so that's we gotta start with that you know my stance on that i will

be playing a a huge role in in nox's life if he's left-handed. If he's right-handed, I might just... Knox Dobbins, the Southpaw. Yeah. I mean, he just got a scholarship to University. He got a scholarship to Tennessee just from the name. I know. Like, just that he's left-handed. Knox Barron is an incredible setup reliever for the Cincinnati Reds.

Like, he... I don't want him... Like, think of the baseball card. I don't want him to be in the of the baseball card. I don't want him to be in the bullpen though. I don't feel like, those people, that's such a thankless job.

It's 18 years. It's 18 years. Those guys get radicalized too. They're weird. Oh, you think he's going Jan 6? Knox is going Jan 6? Not necessarily, but like they become

very free thinkers. It's like Knox and CR just like on the internet getting radicalized together. I mean, it's in play. I know. It's truly in play. If he keeps following Chris

the way that he does. Boy, we're really far afield from our normal podcast. Well, you said Mets and I, you know, wanted to get in the Mets. I'm live watching the game on Gamecast right now.

You've had it even while we're podcasting? I have it open right now, yes. Will you watch Game 2 today? Live? I'm too busy. I have too many things to do. Okay.

But presumably I'll watch it on my phone. Like I'll put it on my phone. Yeah, you have the access. You could pull it up on one of the many streaming networks. I'm already so distracted.

You know, this is an issue for me. I've just got too many inputs. Not enough outputs. Okay. I think I should pod more. I spend more time podding less time receiving information.

Then I'll get dumber but be able to make more content it's what everybody wants how are you feeling with the level of content we're putting out on the show right now

do you mean quality quantity let's talk about both okay um you know I hate

how dependent it is on Hollywood mm-hmm because I feel like they've been letting us down a little bit yeah it's been a tough first quarter yeah a few bright spots actually next week we'll talk about movies that we like they have come out so far this year but you know a lot of them are pretty small right so and it is really fun to have a godzilla kong moment and get to just be stupid yeah and i enjoyed that i did too and i've know, I enjoyed Dune too and I enjoyed the other spots

but they're not serving us at the pace and with the quality that we're serving the rest of the world. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Tell me about this a little bit.

So psychologically speaking, I would say you operate in life as though you deserve things. And it's, you know, it's a defining trait. And I'm not saying it's a bad trait. I'm not criticizing you. I love you, in fact. I think you're a great person.

But I think it's different than how other people are. And I wonder where that comes from. What in that sentence do I think I deserve? You have a very specific ethic of the way that the world ought to operate, but it is a shadow ethic. It is only understood by you. That's true. And when people... Now, that's okay.

I think that's fine. I think some of our greatest fascists operate in a similar fashion. But one thing that they're able to do is enunciate the bylaws of their ethic. Yeah, well, I've given up on that.

And sometimes you do it. Well, but I just, I, like, I just, I know that I do understand

that the world and life at large is not going to meet my expectations. Yeah, I know that. But you, and still you find the, and I and i'm again i admire this about you you find the way to like conjure the energy to be outraged or or frustrated or or whatever all i said was like what if we had more good movies or more movies but then you were similar energy around the dodgers thing you know like I'll give you like it is actually a legal outrage

that I like my tax dollars go to this team yeah I pay money to major league baseball we are league pass subscribers yeah I pay money to YouTube TV in order to have cable and I would be willing to pay money you're aligningigning my much bigger kind of philosophical query. But you're not hearing me when I'm saying. I mean, I just don't care. I don't need to watch the Dodgers. I just as soon watch the Tigers as I would watch the Dodgers personally. I also have to get to the bottom of the Otani thing.

I'm sure it'll happen in mid-game. I don't have my primary source right there. Yeah, no, that's definitely where they're going to figure it out. They're going to solve it during the broadcast in the fourth inning of a game in which he's taken two at-bats. I underline this for a movie-related reason. I watched the Alex Jones versus the Truth last night.

Are you familiar with this? Are you familiar with this? No. Okay. It's a new documentary um on hbo okay and it it chronicles um the sandy hook story the terrible violent shooting that happened to the best school and what info wars did in the aftermath of that shooting and then the film was sort of located primarily in the trial where uh the two trials where alex jones was sued by the parents of victims of sandy hook it's like the it's like the worst thing i've ever seen and i don't mean that qualitatively about the

film but it is it is the most rock bottom i've felt in my life while like watching something in a long time and i watched like the first Omen and there's just like violent demonic death in that movie. And I was like standing and applauding. And I watched this Alex Jones documentary, which is made by, I think his name is Dan Reed, the same guy who made Finding Neverland and who has a knack for this kind of story. Now, obviously the film is very upsetting because the first 30 minutes of it are about just detailing what happened at Sandy Hook, which is the worst story. I mean, it is the worst. It is the worst thing. It is the worst thing. It is a mentally ill person entered a primary school and murdered

more than a dozen people and including many, many young children. And it's awful, right? So there's just a lot of time spent in that. If you choose to watch that, so be it. If you choose not to, I get it. I was watching it with my wife and she was just like, literally, why are we watching this? Like, why are we watching this? I was watching it because I was like, I work in the media.

I'm interested in technology. How did Alex Jones get to be in this place where he is? How did he do the things that he did? I'm not an InfoWars consumer, but I'm a curious person about these kinds of ideas. And then watching the way that someone would exploit the experience as a denier and complete lack of empathy, all the things that go into exploit the experience as a denier and complete

lack of empathy, all the things that go into it. If you're interested in the story, I recommend watching. It's very well made, but I felt like it actually located something in the way that I see the world and the way that it processed it, where I was like, everybody is fucking dead. Everything is broken. I don't trust anybody. I can't believe that this is our life. Now, I obviously have small moments of happiness in my own life. You know, doing this show with you guys,

one of the great joys of my life. My family, fantastic. I've got a handful of friends I really care about. Very happy about that. But like watching something like this, you cannot walk away from it

and not feel like the world is a pit. And I'm bringing all of this up. Right. Because you are like, this is an outrage. And I just never have the energy for that.

Like, I don't, I think I'm just like, we've all been scooped out. And I know that the stakes are quite different from the Dodgers and whether movies are good versus a story as high level as this. But I'm trying to find something.

You get outraged about plenty. We have a record of you being like, fucking outraged. I know. Those are manifestations though of what I'm talking about in a way. Fast X is a manifestation of what you're talking about? Of the unrecoverable brokenness of everything.

Okay. Yeah. So you think that, so you just have an acceptance and you don't think that I have reached a place of acceptance. No, you're fighting the good fight. Like I think you have a, you have a spirit in you that is fighting the fight. Trying to ask for more and better?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Where does that come from? Constant disappointment? But, and yet you refuse to give in. Like, I've given in. No, but also, because every once in a while, like, I get something that lives up to expectations.

You fundamentally, essentially, can enjoy things. So, and, like, you, like, have never taken a vacation that you truly loved. You, like, can't take time off. You're just, like. Neither of those things are true. But you know what I mean? Like, you can't. I know what you're saying.

Yeah. Like, there is some sort of place in a very specific, whether it's a movie or an experience or an emotional state where I'm just like, oh, wow, we did it. Like, this is it. And you have given up on that feeling. And I'm still chasing it. Ah. Maybe you put your finger on it. Yeah.

Well, I admire your optimism. Thanks so much. Bob, what do you think of this section of the conversation? I think it's right on topic. You know, I think that everybody who watched Monkey Man is going to be like, this is what I was looking for. Do you think that people understand like the basic plot points of the Dodgers situation? So it's just like, I mean. I'm not sure I want to do this anymore. I'm just like, do people know that it's like, you know, a local blackout unless you have one specific provider that's on one cable?

That's true in many, many ways. So I just wanted to make sure everyone's on the same page. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. You know, because this affects all of us in our various regional markets. Absolutely. I just don't understand.

That's a really good point. I don't understand. Thanks for bringing it to light. Be very brief. Like, you fucking freak out if you don't have access to a never-released 70s film in like eight different formats and you're like this is corporate you know the corporate degradation of artistic history and like we have

to fight and and i'm waiting for you to say something that's not me being fucking awesome is there is there something coming that isn't good and you can't understand like the basic outrage like this is the issue this is what happens when i have five meetings before noon and then we sit down and do a pod and you're just like i don't care because the meetings have like dulled me into like i've given up i'm burnt embers i just look i don't understand how everyone isn't as like outraged as i am about this it's preposterous uh but like about many things so yeah like you're you you bring this energy to a great deal of things yeah but this one in particular okay well you've said your piece

is there anything else you want to get off your chest since we're having the vent hour? I think the vent hour, I've been thinking about this with the show. I was asking about, are you happy with the output of the show and what we're doing? Because I'm like, I feel like there's another, there's a third tier. There's another thing. I don't know what the thing is yet. In the food show, you haven't sold like average. I have.

I've sold it directly to Tesla. I have actually a topic for episode one of the food show, which is that DiGiorno is now selling a pizza with a croissant crust. And I see it every time we take Knox to Target. You know, like kill an hour because life is- When did you say you had a DiGiorno pizza? Like not since I was 16, but I'm really curious about the croissant crust pizza. So we could try it and our DiGiorno could sponsor the first week of our food show.

Okay. I think the next thing that we do will be some sort of a food summer episode. Okay. Akin to the taste test. Okay. We will get into that. Whether or not DiGiorno is a part of it, I'm not ready to commit to that yet. Don't you think that would be pretty good though? A croissant crust on the pizza? Especially in a home oven setting? No.

No, I don't want my pizza to be flaky. And a croissant is flaky. Okay. And soft. I want a little bit of crunch. I want some texture in there. Ideally, you're getting the crunch on the outside of the croissant. Also, two different strata of grease that comes with a croissant versus a slice of pizza.

Oh, okay. I thought you were saying the country of grease. No, no. I don't know very much about the country of grease. We're going to have to do some food etymology here. No. But I'm intrigued by what you're saying. Okay.

And frankly, I'm not better than a DiGiorno pizza. I like a DiGiorno pizza in theory. It appears the Mets have fallen behind four to three. You're 11th inning. Darn right they have. Are we headed to 0-5? Perhaps we can just keep riffing until this game concludes. Sometimes I wonder if as the producer of this show,

I haven't just sustained like a six-year-long head injury. We're in an experimental territory. Now we're doing something. I've got the Mellotron out and we're playing an experimental territory you know now we're doing something i've you know got the melatron out and we're playing some new sounds you know we're we're expanding our this is this is our revolver you know how far can we take the production in studio you know what's george martin really up to yeah it's still four three here two outs i went to count michael tonkin pitching to geo or Urshela. Who is the home team?

The Mets. Can't say I've been impressed by Michael Tonkin in those first couple of outings here for the New York Mets. Let's talk about directorial debuts quickly. Okay. This was a fun list. So it was 21st century only, which was good. 21st century only. Because there's a great Wikipedia page.

I'm sure it's not extensive. Oh, I didn't look at that. But it was a very fun one to great wikipedia page if you just i'm sure it's not like extensive but it was a very fun one to scroll through okay yeah um i put mine in first did that annoy you no it was fine okay um i mean i obviously would have put a couple on my list but i just took some other ones this can you know be community building it's fine great i also have some funny joke ones for you what if i I was just like number five, Garden State? Number four, Booksmart. Number three, Molly's Game. Okay.

You know? Here's the thing about all three of those. And this is a million percent true, and I've been thinking about this. When I saw Garden State, I was like, I liked that. Yeah, sure. You know, dude, I think it was like a bit self-serious and maudlin and a little silly yeah but i also kind of liked it and i certainly felt the same way about book smart we potted about it when it came out i was like i like that i know it's pretty fun i mean but that's what and that is like part of the experiment i found is also you you do know what comes next in a lot

of cases and so book smart and God, what was that movie called? The Palm Springs, like, head injury movie. Not actual head injury. Don't worry, darling. Okay. Not all head injuries. Harry Styles is Jordan Peterson. I thought you were just talking about the movie Palm Springs.

I was like, it's right there. You said it. I think Chris Pine was Jordan Peterson right? Oh right and Harry Styles is just like one of his followers That is still one of the funniest things that's ever happened

That movie was not good Yeah That's actually a good idea for an episode a sort of like oh no what have we done like american beauty was a movie like right or american beauty came in and we're like what a searing portrait of suburban malaise in america alan ball he's really onto something sam mendes took a voice from overseas

to come and really see how we are in this country and then within 12 months people were like this is one of the most pretentious lame lame pieces of garbage in American movie history. And some of that is generational. Some of that is like you get a little distance from the hubbub around the movie. You've been following the Kirsten Dunst press tour? Oh, God. Not as closely as I have. But that was one where she turned down that movie.

American Beauty. I saw that. Yeah, that was great. That's my girl. So some people were asking for the Kiki Hall of Fame in the Civil War episode. Oh. I'm not sure if that is the right tone for the Kiki Hall of Fame in the Civil War episode. Oh. I'm not sure if that like is the right tone for the discussion of that film. Okay.

That pod. But I want you to think about it. I'm seeing it next week. Okay. So. Okay. I don't know if Kiki, is she, are we deep enough in yet? Because she took a long time off.

But also like a lot of the minor works are also great. I know. But when we do people who are her age, like we did Bradley Cooper and it was too soon. You know, like there's, you can do it too soon. So I don't know if there's a better way to do it.

I don't know. One of the, one of my honorable mentions is bring it on. Oh, which is first movie just sliding in, in 2000. And that is like a, that's,

but you know, she's, she's got range. Oh, absolutely. And then I'm not a question of her. I'm a huge fan of hers. Um, not as big a fan as you are, but you know, she's, she's got range. Oh, absolutely. And I'm not a question of her. I'm a huge fan of hers. Um, not as big a fan as you are, but, uh, she's, she's cooking on the press tour right now.

Do you want to do your list? Sure. Okay. Um, number five, speaking of, uh, Palm Springs head injury movies is actually Palm Springs, Bobby. Um, oh, I guess you had the doc, so you knew that. Just what a delightful movie that we keep talking. You know,

I think we enjoyed it at the time and it came out in pandemic. Yep. The Mets have fallen behind 6-3. And we were like, wow, this is great. But then everything,

every single other romantic comedy trying to reinvent it has come out since then. And it's just like, oh yeah, you guys don't have it. And this movie directed

by Max Barbacow has it. Love Palm Springs. Yeah. Great pick. Thank you. What's up with Max Barbacow? What's he up to?

I don't know. Let's click. Did he just start making TV? Probably. That'd be gorgeous. Like, it's time to make TV. I can make some money doing that.

I mean, especially also like the film came out in 2020. So then it's hard to, in the moment, parlay your streaming rom-com success. Yeah, that's a good point. My number five is In the Bedroom. This is Todd Field's first film.

This would have been on my list. Oh, interesting. Actually, I haven't revisited this movie in quite some time. I would like to watch it again soon. It actually is a searing portrait of the agony of American suburbia, but in this case, also in the event of a horrible tragedy and the very delicate binds between a family and a community, um, amazing performances.

I'm thinking specifically of the late, great Tom Wilkinson, who we'd recently lost. Who's at super in this movie, but this is SpaceX, Marissa Tomei, Nick Stahl, um,

an amazing cast and a very, a very literate and literary adaptation that feels a little bit impossible right now. I don't know if I can really think of a movie that I would compare this to that I've seen in the last couple of years. Anything spring to mind? No, but I mean, you can't really compare Todd Field's movies to anything else. Good point. They're just pretty singular.

They are pretty singular. Yeah. Okay. What's your number four? Gone Baby Gone, which brought us the directorial career of one Ben Affleck. Which so far, The Ledger is still way more hits than misses. Right? Oh, yeah.

Yeah. I mean, he's got three. I mean, the first two movies are amazing. Yeah. I love the first two movies. Stone Cold Classics. Yeah. Then he won Best Picture for another movie that I enjoyed. I like Ar the first two movies are amazing. Yeah. I love the first two movies. Stone Cold Classics. Yeah. Then he won Best Picture for another movie that I enjoyed.

I like Argo. Yeah. Sure. Of course. And Air, you know, was Air. I'm pro. So that's a pretty good track run. What was the other one?

Chase the Night? Take My Breath Away? No. Chase the Night was what Bill wanted to name the ringer. Put down that can of soda. What was the name of the movie? No, it was like a Dennis Lehane. I don't remember.

And that was like poor Sienna Miller. Get out of my chair, dad. Yeah, that was it. That's the one. Yeah. Gone Baby Gone is wonderful. Can I use this opportunity to talk about you guys doing Manchester?

Live by Night is the name of the movie. That's what it is. Manchester by the Sea. Yeah, of course. And the rewatchables. That was a choice. Wasn't my choice. I was happy to do it. Yeah, have you revisited recently no i will literally never rewatch it okay well i've

gotten that feedback and certainly everybody was super cool and normal about that as usual about the rewatchable choices what the fuck when it came up on my rock bottom i am doing i'm doing a rock bottom no spoilers yeah has Bill shared what that is he hasn't

no not at large I have no idea okay it's is it is it air

okay my number four is the Babadook which is Jennifer Kent's debut which is you know

a movie that came out in 2014, Australian filmmaker, became like an instant cult horror classic. Really, really interesting movie that I think has got a little subsumed by the trauma core horror storytelling. This was early in the wave of that. It was at this moment, you know,

when Hereditary was starting to come out and Get Out was about to come out and there was this new class of exciting horror filmmakers had a little bit more of an arthouse sensibility. Jennifer Kent's

second movie, The Nightingale, is really, really good as well. It's a 2018 film about murder and revenge in Tasmania

in the 19th century. Hasn't done anything since. Where's she at? Yeah, you would know better than I. I'm not sure. I think she was developing something for HBO and then maybe it never came to pass,

but I really hope she makes a movie soon because The Babadook is incredibly effective. Actually, The First Omen, which I'll talk about next week, feels correlated in some ways. First Omen,

will you be seeing that film? No, but you'll be telling me about it, right? Yeah, I think so. I think so. It's about the birth of Damien Omen, though. So, like, I want you to see it. It's directed by a woman.

Oh, so it's about, like, actual childbirth? Well, and conception and all of these other things. And it's a very contemporary, very smart movie. Well, okay, I'll see whether... It's upsetting. It's really, it's effective. Okay. This is the other big release this weekend.

The first Omen, I should say that. Okay. We're talking about it next week. We'll see whether. I'll see whether I can work it out. I'm trying to imagine you sitting in the theater watching it. And whether you would like it or not. I feel like if I go see it in the theater, you have to go see it with me.

Okay. And then that becomes a scheduling issue. Good point. Okay. I don't really have any coverage this weekend. No, I was just thinking about that. Okay. Well, why don't you do your number three okay my star is born my guy i'm i feel sort of bad that this is number three i by the way the star is born directed by bradley cooper um which is maybe the most right we have ever been about something to the exclusion

like you guys didn't get it at first but we got it and and we were right and maestro is maybe you know an elevation in some ways of his like quote-unquote filmmaking techniques but this is just kind of a perfect whole movie right out of the gate absolutely here i love it love love my boy brad yeah stars born is a great pick. We had to take a little break, and in that break, the Mets lost. Okay. That's tough. They're 0-5. But they could soon be 1-5, right?

It's a doubleheader. Sure, that's a great way of seeing the world. Yeah, by the time this podcast is released, do you think they'll be 0-6 or 1-5? I don't know who's on the bump today in game two. Who's pitching right now, Bob? Jose Buto. Oh!

Okay. I'm a fan of his. You remember of the Buto boys? I thought he should have been in the starting rotation to start the season. So against Matt Manning, who's a man I've never heard of before.

I'm sure he's an okay pitcher for the Tigers. I'm going to say no. I'm going to say oh and six. Okay. You think sure he's an okay pitcher for the Tigers. I'm going to say no. I'm going to say 0-6. Okay. You think just the energy's bad today? Well, as I just mentioned to you, it's always bad. Sure. I mean, when is it good? I mean, when you're around. I think that's not true, though. I think despite my point of view, my spirit is powerful. Just like the film Ex Machina, which is my number three, which is directed by Alex Garland.

Jesus Christ. A very sobering account of the potential influence of AI in our lives. And also a sobering account of toxic masculinity. You know? Sure. The way that men with power sometimes drive themselves and everyone around them to a kind of destruction. Yes.

You know? Mm-hmm. It's one of destruction. Yes. You know? It's one of my favorite movies. What do you think that says about me? Five-star American classic from Alex Garland. And yet only number three. I mean, this is the thing. I've got three five-star classics on my list coming up.

I do as well. Well, I've got two left, but that's okay. Yeah, that's a good one. My number two. Okay, so my number two, we've got to do this now. We've got to have the point of order now. Oh, you're talking

about release date here? Yeah. Okay. So my number two is The Virgin Suicides, which is Sofia Coppola's feature film debut and is a masterpiece.

It debuted at Cannes in 1999, but it was released in the US in the year 2000. It is eligible. It is eligible. Yes. So I just want you to say right here and right now that it is not eligible for the 1999 draft. It is not eligible for the 1999 draft.

I know, but I need you to let all those other hooligans know. The other draftees. Yes. Well, let's just talk about this right now. We are doing the 1999 movie draft. This is our 40th draft. He comes in here and tries to pull a virgin suicide stunt. I'm going to be angry.

There's plenty of other movies he can take from you. Well, your movies. Sure. That's true. And I encourage him to do so. In fact, I demand he has to do it to my face though.

That's the thing. Well, that's the thing. So we're, it's not three drafters. It's not five drafters. It's seven drafters are coming to play. I believe Mallory and Joanna have already announced that they'll be participating.

Okay. Oh, good. I did not co-sign that announcement, but they're also women of free will, and I respect that. And there's also two more people. Rob Mahoney will be one of them. The other will be Van Lathan. Yeah. Chose those four

because they've participated in multiple drafts over the years. This is our 40th draft. So I thought it would be fun to do something new. Seven people on a recording. Eight including Bobby.

Could be an issue. Yes. I'm a little concerned. Sure. But you know what? Not my problem. That's Bob Wagner's problem. So.

No, I'm going to really try to weigh in on Michael Tonkin's ERA on that pot. I'm going to wait until there's seven people there. And I'm going to be like, Van, what do you think about Tonkin this year? We should try to derail it into Mets talk.

That's a good idea. I mean, Mallory has already turned the text thread into Orioles. Like, I mean, she is every year. But we're in a new play. I know,

but it's like every April. It's like, here we go. And then, you know, we record at the end of the season and it's sad. Virgin Suicide's a great pick. Maybe emblematic of how everyone will be feeling at the end of the 1999 movie draft. Except for me, as usual. My number two is Get Out.

Yeah, pretty good movie. We've been speaking of Jordan Peele on this pod. Pretty good debut. I sure do love Jordan Peele. I love his first film. Can't wait for his next film. I guess not coming until next year, sadly. But this, you know, a movie that like hit like a bomb, you know, just like just a profound announcement.

I love when someone is well known for one thing and then they're like, I'm also a film director. That's like my favorite thing that's ever happened. Sometimes like a Tom Ford did that once, you know, or he's like my favorite thing that's ever happened sometimes like a Tom Ford did that once you know or he's like actually I'd like to make a movie now

right and then he made a pretty good movie it was pretty good I mean he hasn't quite had the single man is that the name of it yes yeah and he made Sierra's Beloved Nocturnal Animals

sure as well Tom Ford has not had quite the Hollywood career that Jordan Peele has had no since this launched him I'm not trying to equate them

yeah but it's a similar experience that they're having shifting from sketch comedy to the Hollywood career that Jordan Peele has had since this launched him. I'm not trying to equate them. Yeah. But it's a similar experience that they're having. Shifting from sketch comedy to the world of social horror. It came out and we were like, oh, okay,

here is a generational talent. And that has continued to be the case. And like his movies, whether you understand them or not, are still events people argue about them anticipate them it's is tom ford's beard tattooed on his face no how does it always look like that because he spends a lot of time grooming it because that is his business do you understand

how much time professionally attractive people spend looking professionally attractive? No. As a professionally unattractive person, I don't have to worry about such things. In fact, I'm leaning further and further. How is your exfoliating schedule going? It's rock solid. Still every day? Just rubbing it out.

Just getting all that grease off. Stop. Stop right there. No, I'm feeling great. Okay. I mean, I'm as pale as ever. That we know. My posture is utterly destroyed.

Yeah. I've got a deep sadness within me. That we're aware of because you can never find enjoyment and contentment. Physical atrophy, you know. About to have some sun chips for lunch. Sun chips for lunch. Harvest cheddar. People on social media are like,

I know who you are and here's who you are. I know who I am. I know. I am a festering bowl of death. It's understood. You can't one-up me on my own pain. All right? Anyway, Jordan Peele, excellent filmmaker.

Huge fan of his. What's your number one? It's a little film called Lady Bird. Yeah. Directed by Greta Gerwig. Was Lady Bird on the rewatchables? Not yet. I don't think so.

I think it's because I know that Bill really loved that movie. But I know that he also, I remember his review was that he watched it with his daughter. And he's like, I could have gotten a warning about the sex scene. That's not a review. But that was his feedback to me okay he was like it was really great but i could have got a warning about the sex scene so i don't know whether you know when timmy and sersha yeah yeah but that's like why okay first of all no one could see the gesture that you just did this is an audio medium knocked it out yeah right yeah he just got in there yep also you could just say sex scene. I speak with my hands.

I'm from New York. This is what we do. I need to insinuate. It's like, what? You're offended by me making a fist motion while talking about a sex scene? I don't think that you needed to make this. That's a very funny, honest scene in a wonderfully bracing, honest movie about being a teenage girl. Clutching your pearls.

And you guys are all just like, well, I mean, like, why are you scandalized by that sex scene? Who's scandalized? Well, you know. I stood up and applauded and I said,

this beautiful exploration of a young woman's femininity and coming of age is powerful to me. There was nothing exploratory about it. It was just Timmy shirtless afterwards being like,

let me tell you about Howard Zinn, which is like definitely how all teenage sex scenes work. That's what I'm saying. It was basically documentary. Yes, it was very true. He got it in there. You know, I think

the fist pump was appropriate. My number one is Michael Clayton. Yeah, this also would have been on my list, but, you know. I took it from you. It's fine. I don't feel bad having Lady Bird at number one. I need Tony Gilroy to put down the lightsabers okay and come back I I liked

Andor I'm on the Andor train you know I I'm amazed by the um wildly subversive ideas he's been able to shoehorn into the Star Wars properties that That's really cool that he did that. He's a great thinker. I'm glad he probably got paid a lot of money to do it. You know? I just like just come back to movies about guys in suits

who are just like very unhappy and trying to figure out how to make things a little better. Yeah. I agree. I love those movies. Same. Is there a guy in a suit? Is it slightly rumpled? Is he a bit hang dog?

Has he had some issues in the past, perhaps with gambling or alcohol? But he's very good at one thing. Right. Now that's a movie. If you've got that, you've got a film. And Michael Clayton is one of those films. I love Michael Clayton.

Would you call that trash suits? Garbage suits, perhaps? I think we did. Garbage suits was the... Because we decided that it was not... Michael Clayton was not garbage cash because it is, in fact, garbage suits. But it's not garbage. It could be garbage law.

Yeah. Junk law. It could be, yeah, junk law. I guess so. Yeah. It could be legal trash. Yeah, but do you know any prestige legal? So this is a question about the garbage genres in general is like existentially must a prestige version of the genre exist for there to then be a junk.

Okay, so. Inherit the Wind is prestigious law. I guess so. 12 Angry Men. To kill a mockingbird. Well, those are courtroom movies, which is different than law movie. True. Alex Jones versus the truth is...

The Insider? Yeah, but that's more... A little more journalism. Yeah, true. Junk journalism is... We'll have to bring Brian Curtis in for that one. Okay. That'd be great

Michael Clayton is too prestigious to be junk but shitty versions of Michael Clayton movies I will watch

yeah of course any honorable mentions for you Wildlife Paul Dano's good one debut hadn't thought of that

technically Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice counts yeah of course. And that's a wonderful adaptation. You mean just from a linear timeline perspective? Yeah. Okay.

And then I already mentioned Bring It On. I guess Sexy Beast is also this generation as well. Yeah. Have you had any thoughts on Zone of Interest or Gaza? Jesus Christ. Once again, Kirsten Dunst just coming through. Did you read that quote? I did read that quote.

My take was I thought he was saying genocide is bad. Kiki gets it. Is she extremely smart or just plain spoken? Maybe both. Okay. I think she's also- I think she's smart and also a real person, which is very rare. Also weird grown up in Hollywood.

So she has, like, she was not ruined by the child actor experience, but she still has all of those experiences. Do you think she should make another Spider-Man movie? I mean, as she said, those movies pay well, and she has two kids. So I think she should do whatever she wants to do. I think she should join Hour 3, which is the name of the third episode

of the week we'll be doing. Another piece of that profile reveal is that they're not friends with Hollywood people except for Glenn Powell.

Is that true? So, Hour 3 is us plus Glenn and Kiki. How do they even know each other texas jesse and glenn but they never worked together right you know what i'm just saying why are you getting mad at me because you're just like interrogating it's what it said in

the profile and i'm programming our three here okay you're telling me stuff and i'm asking questions about it and you're becoming i know but you're just immediately like that's not actually factually you know well you know me no one can know each other that's not actually factually, you know, the IMD record. Well, you know me. No one can know each other. Those credits don't line up and thus they have no connection. I like those guys. I'd like to sit in a bar quietly and observe Glenn and Jesse spend some time together. That's not weird at all. Maybe I'd talk.

What if I talk? Yeah. What about that? You think they would like that? Yeah. I'm sure they'd love to. I'm sure they'd love to hear all your thoughts about the Mets. And I'm sure...

And we know Glenn Powell's a baseball guy. He's magnificent as one. Yes, sure. And everybody wants him. But they don't care about the Mets, I would assume. Think they're Rangers fans? I don't know. What would the other Texas options be?

Houston? Houston Astros. Oh, yeah. I hope they're not Astros fans. Seems plausible. Yeah, but at some point you gotta you have to renounce it,

don't you think? Just like for your own dignity? Renounce it? I don't know. They win non-stop. How could you renounce it? I know, but the cheating. They didn't.

The fans didn't do the cheating. You know? They don't have to renounce the team. Every team cheated. I don't care about that at all. Jose Altuve? He's like literally one of the five best players

I've seen in my life. Right, but he was the one like they literally he was like, don't care about that at all. Jose Altuve, he's like literally one of the five best players I've seen in my life. Right, but he was the one, like they literally, he was like, don't take my shirt off because I have all the wire taps on. Oh man, you're a buzzer believer? Whoa, we've lost the plot. You guys aren't fun about like sports pop culture. You know, you need to be more fun about the things that leave your little universe and make it to the mainstream. We're just all out here trying to have a good time. I think people are sitting at home and thinking, God, Amanda's so fun.

She's the most fun. You just suggested sitting in a bar watching Jesse Plemons and Glenn Powell talk to each other and saying nothing. Yeah, just shoot pool, hang out, throw darts. You're a sociopath. Have a nice frosty IPA. I just have a lot of opinions about the major league, you know? And I just. The major league?

You sound super normal right now. Well, I was about to say, I was going to say major league baseball, but I said the first. And so then I was like, well, I guess I just have to say the major league do you sometimes podcasting is you know off the off the dome so it doesn't always work out yeah with frequency um Bobby would you say this was a successful episode of the big picture um they're all successful to me you know we're about a thousand as far as I'm concerned okay excellent uh I did have some honorable mentions I forgot to mention okay in Bruges they're all successful to me you know we're bad a thousand as far as I'm concerned okay excellent I did have some honorable mentions

I forgot to mention okay In Bruges yeah Martin McDonagh that's a good one Edgar Wright's Shaun of the Dead sure

I love that movie I mean Hereditary yeah I was surprised probably number six yeah it wasn't on yours love Hereditary District 9 aforementioned

because of Charlton Copley I did have Gone Baby Gone on my list as well, just like you. Donnie Darko? Yes. Will Richard Kelly ever make a movie again? I don't know, but he did make one. One of my favorite movies, guys.

When is he going to get out of director jail? I don't know if it'll ever happen. What about James Wan's Saw? I didn't know that that was this century. I think it was. I'm not saying that as an expert on the Saw movies. I just feel like I've been living with them for. Oh, four.

Okay. Well, that's great. Did I recount the plot of Saw 10 for you? No, but I think you did it on a different podcast that I listened to. They made Jigsaw the good guy. It's fucking sick because he had cancer. And they're like, he's got cancer. So he's the good guy now.

Maybe you were. Absolutely. Were you recounting that plot to Tim Simons by chance? Hi, Tim. It's plausible. I listened to all of it. Thanks. Thanks for your support.

I listened to most of your podcast. You know what I really liked was at the end of Junk Fights, when Chris just started talking about how you and Zach get in fights on the golf course i think it was slightly overstated i think there were some misconceptions about our our uh performance in those public spaces um on the golf course or is it general a bit of both yeah i mean i i guess so zach is a borderline public person chris has got to be fucking careful watch your your mouth, Chris. That's something I want to say to him right now. I think he's listening to this.

Do you think he listens to the very, very end? I don't know. We should start putting messages at the end of every episode and see if he picks up on them. Chris, here's my first message for you. I had a lot of good 90s debuts as well before you inserted. 21st century? Yeah. What are your 90s onesuts as well before you inserted 21st century yeah not like the

obvious ones like reservoir dogs right exactly kicking and screaming sex lies and videotape isn't that

technically 89 it is 89 yeah that thing you do Tom Hanks' movie sure I love that movie that needs to be

rewatchable I'm in a death death struggle with Bill Simmons about Tom Cruise versus Tom Hanks so I might start actively negging Tom Hanks' movie? Sure. I love that movie. That needs to be rewatchable. I'm in a death struggle with Bill Simmons about Tom Cruise versus Tom Hanks, so I might start actively negging Tom Hanks. Oh, because you think that he's gonna, you think that

Hanks is gonna win that category? Of Cruise versus Hanks? Yeah, just that I'm on Cruise Mountain. Yeah, sure. I have scaled Cruise Mountain. Yeah, sure. I have scaled it. Okay. I stand astride it.

Okay. Powerful. Okay. Looking into the middle distance. So I thought you were referencing specifically the new Rewatchables category as opposed to the

long-term Rewatchables. No, just our debate. That thing you do is really delightful. I like it. I like it a lot. It should be a Rewatchable. Okay.

Also Nancy Meyers as a parent trap. Sure. Have you ever seen that? Yeah, of course I have. Have you actually you actually yeah we did an entire nancy myers episode where i rewatched every movie yeah okay well it's quite good yeah it's fine all right what's better hereditary or the parent trap hereditary is better oh sure but the parent trap is really, really influential. You like the Hayley Mills version of that?

That's kind of boring. At some point, it's just like the 60s movies. If you didn't grow up with them, it's just like, hurry up. You know what I'm saying? Safety's off. We should continue recording because something good is going to come out of this. I actually don't want to stop because now the real amanda has emerged get on with it i mean it's just pacing is different uh-huh our attention spans are different

amanda's sitting there watching strange love she's like launch the bomb yeah blow them up already i mean it's also not like the punch lines attended for like a 10 yearyear-old in the 60s are funny. I mean, the punchlines intended for a 10-year-old in the 90s are not funny to a 40-year-old either. No,

they're pretty, the Meredith character is pretty funny. Bobby's nodding. Bobby knows what's up. You've been toxified by your own nostalgia. No,

that movie is a five-star masterpiece, Sean. You gotta get on board. You gotta get on board. Lindsay Lohan, yeah, giving the performance of a lifetime. Not true. That came in the film The Canyons, directed by Paul Schrader.

There it is. Who else? Natasha Richardson? Yeah. Yeah, she's good. R.I.P. Yeah, one of the greats. Lisa Ann Walter?

Yeah. Of Adam Elementary greats. Lisa Ann Walter of Adam Elementary. No, I know. But that's like when she did the whole bit at the Oscars. I was like, no, that's the housekeeper from Parent Trap. Because once again, that's actually that's how we got on to. I don't know how to turn my TV on and watch 30 minutes of comedy. I can't believe like a huge part of my professional life has been devoted to this with you. Okay. How many TV shows are you watching right now though? Let's do the list.

Shogun. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enjoying that. Survivor. Oh, right. Top Chef. Okay. Narrative only.

Okay, let me pull up my, I mean Curb. Oh, sure. I'm eagerly awaiting the Curb finale. Okay. You know, not the best Curb season of all time, but just happy to have it. X-Men 97. Oh, where do you fall

on that? I thought Charles Holmes put it very well on the watch. So did I. Never seen any of the things discussed, but I thought Charles

was great on the watch. Well, he pointed out that this desire to kind of make 35-year-olds eight years old again has been a bit of a disease. This one perhaps more than any other

because the original X-Men show literally was for eight-year-olds. You know, like Logan is not for eight-year-olds. Logan's for 19-year-olds and 40-year-olds. But like the animated X-Men cartoon, it was a Saturday morning cartoon. It was for kids who woke up and ate sugary cereal and watched cartoons.

So I feel a bit silly sitting at home watching X-Men 97. On the other hand, I love the X-Men. I'm just happy to be with Cyclops and Jean. That's beautiful. Yeah, so that's okay. I intend to watch Manhunt, but I haven't gotten there. Yeah, Tobias Menzies. Yeah, I haven't gotten to that. I'm not, I did

not enjoy the three-body problem. Zach really liked it. Zach Barron, yeah. Yeah, or at least he really liked the first five episodes. I haven't checked in recently because frankly, that train has left the station and I'm not on it. Nor do I care about it. I will be watching Ripley. So will I.

But. You're concerned? Yeah. Not about Andrew Scott, but everybody else. It's not how I would have cast it. I don't even know who's in the cast, but it actually debuts today. The day that we are recording. So I'll be checking that out.

And then the next one on my list is The Sympathizer. Oh, yeah. Which is April 14th. Is it? On HBO. Okay. Maybe I'll check that out. Very much looking forward to it.

I don't think I've watched a television show this year. TV is very bad. Yeah. Like, it is very bad. No, like, I literally, I don't think that I've watched a new show in 2024. So. Mr. and Mrs. Smith?

Tried it, remember? But then they were asleep. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, TV's bad. I don't know what to say. I don't really... See, that's why I brought this up

because I knew that together we could... But still, you spend so much of your time watching the Giggle Box. And for what? The Giggle Box? Well, I'm able to watch the team

that I want to watch play baseball yeah unfortunately for me there you go that's been the case this has been a very interesting episode I think we accomplished a lot

sometimes episodes like this work sometimes Bob thanks for your work on this episode it's Bobby Wagner that's my pleasure our producer we will be talking about

the best movies of the year so far I think I think i'm gonna go see dune part two again okay on friday like oh during the day afternoon okay yeah i can't do that okay because we could have seen the omen at that time but i'm not available okay so great great thanks for your flexibility well i'm sorry talk to bill okay i i want to spend a little bit of time on Dune Part 2 in that discussion because we never really

got a chance to circle back to it. But I also do want to talk about, you know, somewhere between like five and 15 movies that have come out this year

that are maybe a little under the radar. Okay. So over the weekend, I'll share you my list. Great. You can share me yours. We can be a little prepared

to tie in on the movies. That's great. There have been a few things that have been pretty fun that I look forward to shining a light on. Maybe not as much as we'd like on the Big Tent version. But There have been a few things that have been pretty fun that I look forward to shining a light on. Maybe not as much as we'd like on the big

tent version but I think that'll be a good conversation. And yeah thank you for hanging in to this has been the Mets broadcast. This is the first

episode. This has not been the Dodgers. In the long running series and we'll see you next week.