The Big Picture - ‘The Fall Guy’ and Top Five Ryan Gosling Movies

Episode Date: May 3, 2024

Sean and Amanda reflect on the reaction to the 35 Under 35 movie stars list they put together on Tuesday’s episode (1:00), before discussing the new Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy-romance movie, ‘The Fall Guy’ (5:00). Then, they revisit the highs of Gosling’s career by each sharing their five favorite performances from his long and chaptered career (51:00). Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wake up, babe. Bandsplain is back. That's right. Your favorite extremely long music podcast has returned. And this season, we're talking grunge. As usual, there's goss, there's tea, there's an excessive amount of facts and info. And you know what? There's nine hours on a band that rhymes with schmurlschmam, plus much, much more. Listen to new episodes of Bandsplain with me, Yossi Salek, every Thursday. I'm Sean Fennessey. I'm Amanda Dobbins. And this is the Big Picture,

a conversation show about the fall guy. Today, we're discussing the new action comedy romance starring ryan gosling and emily blunt we're going to share our top five favorite ryan gosling movies before we dig into the fall guy any any feedback you got from 35 under 35 the perfect list we made this week i heard from several of my friends whom you called uncool while name checking the club Delilah. And the feedback was from all of them that they are unbothered. It sounds like they were bothered because they're providing feedback. Nevertheless, I support them in all their endeavors. I'm just weighing in on their cool meter.

Where are you on the cool meter these days out of 11? I think what we all agreed on off mic Is that we're all higher than you On the cool meter I don't disagree Okay I don't disagree And that is just kind of How I'm trying to live my life

My fixed point is Wherever you are I see I'm higher You're I'm a two and you're a three Sure Okay

That's not bad Yeah You could do worse But you could do a lot better And Do you think we could have done better on the list? No, I liked my list. My little sister Grace just texted me and she said,

you had a huge miss, which I thought was an interesting suggestion. There have been some great suggestions. Of course, we missed some names. I thought Jeremy Allen White was an interesting suggestion that we did miss. He technically wouldn't really qualify as a movie star yet because he's basically been in two movies. But if you're going to play Bruce Springsteen that's a good suggestion but the one that she suggested

who would have been right at the top of the teen category is Ariana Greenblatt who is one of the stars of Barbie and is about to be one of the stars

of Borderlands the new Cate Blanchett action movie coming out in August and she was present at CinemaCon and everyone was like this is the future

of Hollywood when she came out so I thought that was interesting from a from a 20 year old woman i think that's a great note maybe we should have just let grace do our teen division she's doing her list right now so maybe we can post that when she lands on i love grace once again this is the future of hollywood uh the teen star of borderlands and beetlejuice beetlejuice like once again we've also also had some recent experiences at the movies inspired by your

CinemaCon trip that we'll be addressing on a future episode. And I just think, once again, we're going to put your learnings from Las Vegas and from the wonderful people of the movie industry into some real world context. I've really been getting a lot out of this Vegas trip. I gotta say, this was a good idea to go back to CinemaCon because we're making content out of all of my ideas. We sure are. Even if all of it is just being like, you're an idiot.

Well, I don't think that's what we've gotten so far. I think I've been on the money. You see this early tracking on Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice? We're back. CinemaCon is back. The movies are back. And Beetlejuice is back. Okay.

Any other notes from this pod earlier this week? I had a nice time. It was fun. Yeah. It was a fun pod. People seem mad that I was challenging Timothee Chalamet to make his own challengers. Good.

Oh, yeah. Good. I mean, I did feel that everyone who pointed out that he is made, call me by your name, and Bones and all, and All had some points. That's a misunderstanding of what I was trying to say. Well, then why don't you clarify?

Well, Challengers is a $50 million movie that is meant to open big. Those two movies are our house movies with much smaller budgets. The intention there, it's not that I think he hasn't made an original movie. Of course, he's made original movies. But now, with his star power, the way to leverage that is to make the kinds of movies that we love to celebrate on the show

and not Wonka. I realize a lot of people like Wonka. I thought it was terrible. Right. So I'm holding it against him. And the Bob Dylan biopic doesn't count as...

It's in the middle ground. You'll admit it is IP of a kind. It's a cheat to make a musician biopic. Sure. And just be recreating bob dylan photographs like yeah i mean the great filmmaker and and and i he looks not he looks like a

beautiful version of bob dylan do you think bob dylan's a handsome man oh my god i can't believe and it's my fault like i did it i steered right 1965 i steered right into the bob dylan podcast part two. That's my feedback on the earlier episodes. Just like at some point you started talking about Bob Dylan. And I was just like, I'm still learning about myself because of his work. That's really the difference between you and I. You go to art to escape.

I go to art to learn about myself. That's true. I thought I blacked out when you just started being like, anytime I don't know what to listen to, I just put on Bob Dylan. But I didn't black out. It stayed with me. Heard from so many brothers and sisters who've said, thank you for the work that you're doing supporting Bob. That's beautiful. Chalamet, he's great. I'm a huge fan. I hope I wasn't mean-spirited in any way. I just want him to be even better than he already is. Okay. That's good. That's how you show your love.

That's right. That's right. It's pushing people to be great. Just like I push both of you on this podcast. Right. Do you think that Ryan Gosling is pushing himself right now as he enters this new phase of his career? No and yes. I believe he's not, but I think that that's okay. Yes. And that's sort of where we can start this conversation about the fall guy. He's not in the traditional sense, right? Like we have seen what it's like when Ryan Gosling is, quote, pushing himself according to the Sean Fennity's fantasy standards of handsome movie star guys, you know, making doodly movies. Yes. Doodly art movies. It doesn't have to be art. It doesn't have to be art doesn't have to be

art house yeah but he has kind of done it all he has which is cool and that's kind of one of the things my husband interviewed him for gq before barbie and he was like i like i've been there i've done it yeah what else do i need to do like you know i did like your nicholas winning rife and i did your you know nicholas sparks i have directed your Nicholas Wenning-Ryphon. I did your, you know, Nicholas Sparks. I have directed a movie. I was in, like, a weird indie band. You know, like, I've been there. Like, he has played all the different types of parts.

And so now, he's just being a movie star? And I think he really is sort of exploring the movie star quality of Ryan Gosling in a way that he has not yet. And it's a fun time to be alive and a fun time to be going to the movies because he has it. He has fully, fully wrapped his arms around that particular thing that you're describing with Barbie and this movie. And it was looking a little dodgy there for a minute with the gray man. We were all a little concerned at the Ryan Gosling Institute for being the man. But we're so back at the Institute because The Fall Guy is an interesting project.

It's directed by David Leitch, who is himself a longtime stuntman and stunt coordinator. He was unofficially the co-director of the first John Wick film and is a longtime partner of Chad Stahelski, the John Wick director. He's gone on to make a number of movies. He made a Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw. He most recently made Bullet Train. He's got this big production company, 87 North, and they specialize in movies that have these stunt sequences. And this whole movie, which is loosely adapted from a TV show that starred Lee Majors is so reliant on its two stars and so reliant on its stunts that there's almost nothing else going on in the movie.

And that's not a criticism of the movie. The movie is, do the two central characters have chemistry? And do these stunts look amazing and feel fun at the movie theater i would say for the most part the answer to that question is yes would you say it's yes yes i feel like you liked it even more than i did i did i had a great time i mean you know this is not splitting the atom this is

not citizen kane but there is something very knowing and it's we're just making a summer movie star blockbuster and there are a lot of references sprinkled through the movie to like actual other blockbusters like nodding hill and the fugitive and there's a last of the mohicans joke and it's it it knows what it is doing and i think does it incredibly well. And it's also funny. That's the other thing that's actually missing about this. It has chemistry. It has stunts that are ridiculous, but like, I don't care.

It's not John Wick action. No, it's different. And to me, that's fine. Because I didn't go in expecting like the you know the blazing gunfight or whatever I think that there is a uh a different comic sensibility in the David Leitch action movie than the Chad Stahelski action movie the Chad Stahelski action movie obviously is incredibly daring and high-flying and inspired clearly by like the Buster Keatons of the world. David Leitch's movies are a bit sillier and a bit, I don't want to say three stooges,

but there's a little bit more like daffiness in the action. And so this movie naturally, its spirit, its tone is very light and loose. And even though the stakes are high and there's life and death stuff, it never feels scary really. You know, you're not really afraid for anyone at any point in the movie, even though there are explosions and death stuff. It never feels scary, really. You're not really afraid for anyone at any point in the movie, even though there are explosions and bodies falling from buildings and all kinds of crazy stuff. The setup for the movie is very simple. Ryan Gosling plays a stuntman who, in the opening sequences of the film, is very badly injured. And after that,

he walks away from the business and he gets a call from a producer who he's worked with for many years. It's played by Hannah Waddingham who you'll remember from Ted Lasso. I know you've seen every episode of that show. There were three Ryan Gosling super fans, some young women

who were lovely sitting next to us. They very loudly yelled, she's on Ted Lasso. Like five times they said it, which thanks for their efforts for reminding us.

So she calls up Colt Seavers, the Ryan Gosling character and says, we need you back. We're making a movie in Australia. And lo and behold, the love of your life, who you've fallen out of touch with, who's played by Emily Blunt, is actually the director of this movie. Last we saw her, she was a camera operator on an action movie that was being made with Tom Ryder, Aaron Taylor Johnson's character in the movie. Gosling has been parking cars for the last year as he recovers from this industry.

Excuse me, recovers from this injury. And this industry. And this industry, true, good point. And something sparks. He realizes he needs to get his mojo back. He needs to go rediscover this relationship with Jodi. The mention of Jodi is what sparks. And then he flips back on the,

what is that exercise machine called, Bobby? Where it's, you're like lying flat and then I think you're supposed to use your core to kind of flip your body up and back. Do you think it's helping the mic sound as I flip back and forth from the mic trying to demonstrate this for you? I honestly, I'm not sure what you're referring to.

The equipment work is not really my zone, but it's not. So you're saying it's not Pilates. No, no, no. It's not the reformer. It's not the reformer. It's like full. It's almost like a vertical stretcher that you hook into. And then I think you're supposed to use your core to like do full sit-ups on it.

But like move your whole body this was originally developed at the ryan gosling institute for being the man and uh it's a special piece of equipment it looks it looks like uh i'm not i'm not really sure i'm looking into this i like my role here of like looking up random things that amanda describes yeah especially exercise related to exercise i thought you know i thought you might. I thought it might have come up on your Instagram Explorer tab. Anyway, he manages to use his core to flip right back up as soon as Jodie, Emily Blunt's character, is mentioned. And that spurs him to go to Australia. And then the film takes off.

It turns out he gets to Australia. They're making this movie. Jodie is directing her first feature, a film called Metal Storm, which is very amusingly timed to Dune. And they even do like a Dune soundtrack send up that was really funny. And very close to the Dune score that really works well.

And it becomes kind of a crime thriller at this point. It's like Dune mixed with Guardians of the Galaxy. Definitely. Yeah. There's an alien invasion aspect to it, and then there's also a sand battle aspect to it. Which is all to say, it looks pretty silly, and you're not supposed to take the movie particularly seriously either. Tonally, a movie that this movie reminded me a lot of is Get Shorty. Have you seen Get Shorty?

Not in a long time, but yes. When I was a teenager, I loved Get Shorty. Have you seen Get Shorty? Not in a long time, but yes. When I was a teenager, I loved Get Shorty. I loved Elmore Leonard novels. This was at a time in the 90s when a lot of Elmore Leonard novels were being adapted. Get Shorty is a movie about a loan shark who goes from Miami to Los Angeles to collect a debt. And he's a huge cinephile and he gets entrenched in the world of hollywood because of this debt that he has to collect and he starts to meet all these characters who are kind of on the fringes of hollywood but he knows so much that when he meets a stuntman for example in the movie he knows the stuntman's name because he's the kind of guy who studies the credits as a teenager i was

like this is so cool just hearing this john travolta loan shark character in the movie quote lines from Touch of Evil. This is really fun. And it's a little bit of a gateway movie to the world of Hollywood. The Fall Guy, I feel like operates in a somewhat similar way. I don't know if it's quite as successful comically, but the movie is using a lot of Hollywood and movie making shorthand throughout the making of its movie.

I was wondering if you felt like any of that stuff what could be perceived as alienating or if you felt like they settled you into the world well so the people would just enjoy that stuff i guess you and i are more familiar generally i mean not that we make movies but you know maybe some of the references like the the producer character that hannah waddington plays is is very funny and recognizable and is making like there are a lot of industry jokes about how these people operate that landed for you and me and and and maybe they won't land in the same way for people who who don't care but the nihilism is the sexy bacon is one that i particularly enjoyed in this

movie but i do also think it's written broadly enough. If anything, you know, some of the mechanics of Hollywood are oversimplified, as you noted. It seems unlikely that a camera operator would become the director of Dune Guardians of the Galaxy 5 in less than 12 months. A little bit of a stretch there. Sure. I think it's meant to be a parody of the fact five in less than 12 months a little bit of a stretch there sure i think it's meant to be a parody of the fact that indie directors exactly but you know into those jobs and so do i and i think so in that sense like it works but it also it doesn't really matter if you're just following like the basic plot of the thing i felt that most of the jokes about hollywood that could be assigned

to a specific incident and or character and there and there or actor i should say and there's one actor in particular like were funny and as much homage as they were like parody um and so there is something just kind of loving about all winking as as you called it about all of this that if you get it it's charming and if not whatever it's pretty easy to follow they're trying to make a movie yeah the the shark teeth have been filed down a little bit it's not a very it's not a savage takedown of how Hollywood blockbusters are made and in all the press and all the marketing materials you see, this is a love letter

to stuntmen and to action making and to the thrill of making a movie and seeing a movie after you've made it. There's a little bit of inside baseball kind of clubbiness to the movie that I think will be a little bit distancing, a little bit. I I don't know I don't think it's it's that exclusionary

because even even a lot of the references are explained like there is a bit about how there is no Oscar for stunt acting and I mean it's it's not advanced stuff stuff. It's all Gosling's comedic timing, but it's just in there. And him just being like, no, there's no Oscar. You can't win an Oscar for it. And they linger. And so maybe that's clubbiness, but you don't have to listen to this show every week to get that. I really appreciate that David Leitch and the screenwriter Drew Pierce put that in the movie. It's of course something we talk about all the time. I think it's something that really rankles guys like Leitch. And there's a long history of guys like him who have, Drew Pierce, put that in the movie. It's, of course, something we talk about all the time. I think it's something that really rankles guys like Leach. And there's a long history of guys like him who have, you know,

elevated into director chairs and still have a ton of respect for it. The movie itself, I kind of wanted to ask you about the action sequences. I'm going to just spoil a little something about next week's episode, which is, you know, next week's episode is called The Future of Moviegoing. Okay. So we've been on a journey to experience movies in a number of different ways over the course of the last two weeks. We've been doing it together.

We've been having some fun. And we're not done yet. We have a couple of more experiences to go. Do we? Yes, but I won't spoil what that is. I know, but do I know about that? You have to watch the film The Idea of You. Oh, yeah, but I'm looking forward to that.

Me too. So, we saw the fall guy in 4DX. 4DX, neither of us had ever seen a movie in that experience. Yeah. I have already seen this movie. This was my second time seeing it. So, I knew where all the big action sequences were coming and I knew what all the stunt sequences were going to be.

Well, I was able to warn you ahead of time about them as they were coming up as we were watching the movie. We'll give our full review of the 40X experience soon. But this was certainly a movie for 40X because there is a lot of action. There is a lot of rumbling and flipping. Cars are flipping around. There's a big chase sequence in the middle of the movie. There's a helicopter chase. You know, the movie is oriented around explosions gunfights yeah a boat uh sydney harbor just like really really blowing up pun intended in the in the movies right now how could they have i guess they must not have known that anyone but you was going to come along five months earlier because between the sydney opera house is

just shining right now i think it's just tax credits right right? Like, they're pumping it out down there. I honestly couldn't say. And also, then everyone goes to Australia and they're like, wow, this is wonderful. What a place to live. Yeah, why don't we live here? Yeah. You know, you can appreciate good action. Yeah.

What did you think of the action in this movie? Well, I think I appreciate slightly more than you. Like this silly, but understandable. Oh, they're doing something, something kind of crazy aspect of this movie. And so, you know, I don't, I guess we'll spoil a little bit. Like a car flips over a bunch in this movie. There is, as we we said a chase sequence there are some explosions and the story does actually set up a lot of the set pieces which is i honestly thought pretty deftly like again not exactly like with the beauty of, you know, some great like Isaac Newton, like proof or whatever.

But you're like, oh, OK, this happened and now he's doing this and I see why. And as a dumb movie goer, which I am like, I'm like, oh, OK. Hey, they said they were going to do it and they're going to do it. And I find that thrilling every time. What is your favorite top five Isaac Newton proofs? Thank you for asking, because as I got through that sentence, I was like, are they proofs? Is that what they're called? I guess they're theories.

You know, there's the one about relativity. I think that's done a lot for us as a society. Isn't the theory of relativity Albert Einstein? Oh, yeah. Okay. So then what's... I think you're thinking of gravity. Oh, well, again, really important for us and also for the conclusion of Godzilla Kong.

That's true. As we'll discuss more next week. We'll bring that up again. Yeah. We shall return to Godzilla Kong. Great. Yeah. Again, science was important.

You might be thinking, Amanda, you might be thinking of the momentum. That's an important one. That's actually relevant to this film. Momentum is all... Do you believe in momentum in sports? Oh, yeah. You do? Sure. Okay. Do you believe in momentum in sports? Oh yeah. You do? Sure.

Okay. Do you believe in momentum in pods? Yeah absolutely. Of course. Of course. It's all like it's all about energy

right? You cannot stop going. You gotta get in the zone and then you If you stop people are just like ah I gotta go check out another show.

I gotta go put on Stone Devil Pilots now. You know I'm not interested in this anymore. I gotta go put on Bob Dylan. Okay. Physics was not my favorite of the sciences i was a terrible physics student i was awful at it i was just and it was kind of like oh my brain doesn't work this way and that's fine like i my brain does

other things yeah and you were an exceptional student i was a very good student but you and i both being terrible at physics is fascinating what does that that tell us? I think it's conceptual math. And so your brain has to understand math as like a language that can be manipulated as opposed to sets of blocks that you... I was very good at algebra because that was all just... That was like spreadsheet-based, right?

Right. But I don't speak the language of math, which is the international language. I literally lost my breath as you said that. My wife would probably appreciate that. My wife, the actuary, I'm sure would appreciate that sentiment, even though it is not true whatsoever. I think actually romance is the international language. No, no, no.

Oppenheimer is about how then he's like, we have to build the math to create what we see in our minds. No, you have to listen to the music. That's what you have to do. Okay, well, to then build the math. This is all relevant because of course, moviemaking is the collision of art and science, no more so than an action moviemaking. It's really hard to do this. And there is an end because, of course, moviemaking is the collision of art and science, no more so than in action moviemaking.

It's really hard to do this, and there is an end credits kind of sequence, like an anti-blooper reel in which they show in great detail the lengths that they went to to execute on a lot of these incredible stunts. I have a little bit of an issue with some of the action in this movie because there's still just clearly a sense of digital animation that is necessary to execute on the completion of some of these stunts that I know why they have to do it and I know that it would be impossible to execute on some of these concepts

without doing it it still just looked at times a bit cheap to me for For example, there's a big chase sequence in which Colt Seavers, the Gosling character, is riding on a kind of like modified metal plate as he's being dragged through a city by a car and he's holding onto a chain. And it's a very exciting sequence

and it's really fun. It's soundtracked magnificently and intercut with a karaoke sequence. I love that part of the movie. However, in this chase sequence, he's being dragged on this plate and the plate is creating sparks. And those sparks are fake.

And they look fake. And when you see that, you're like, it's kind of pulling me out of getting emotionally invested. It's a small quibble, but it's relevant to a lot of the stunt work in the movie where the people who did the work are awesome. But then you kind of like, I don't know, you reduce the thrill of the work that's done by putting this animation on it somehow. You know what I'm saying?

I do, but it's funny that I didn't react to this that way at all. And I am usually, I'm the first person to be like, okay, well, that's fake and that's fake. And not to bring up a touchy subject, but the climactic train sequence of Mission Impossible Fallout. Same problem. I was like, well, like when that train has fallen away, that is an animated train.

You know, Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell were definitely hanging on stuff and in danger, but like I can see. And I think it's because Mission Impossible is presented as can you believe that Tom Cruise is about to jump like actually

motorcycle off a cliff and it's like you are here to see people do things for real. Like this is about the action and it's not winking. It is serious. It is like we are going to defeat AI and jump off buildings.

This is silly. Like this is silly. And so there is something about the action sequences are in some cases punchlines as much as stunts. And that just changes the way that I watch it and put some of the pressure on, for me at least. You know, I've only, you've seen it twice. I twice I've only seen it once again I hate all fake sparks I like I get it but that was not my reaction yeah I I understand what you're saying about Mission Impossible that's definitely us reacting to the mythologizing that the franchise has been doing towards Tom Cruise's stunt work I think the difference is is that the Mission Impossible movies are at a massive scale.

And a movie like The Fall Guy is very intentionally a little bit more grounded. It's fewer characters. It's a smaller story. And so when you're doing a sequence like that, and this is something

that Wick does well. You know, Wick, for the most part, when they're falling down the stairs, they're falling down the stairs. You know what I mean? And it doesn't really feel like it's been digitally worked.

I mean, the other thing too, and this is a credit to the filmmakers, the Fall Guy, this movie's shot in broad daylight. It's a lot harder to do stuff like this in broad daylight. And so that's obviously contributing to the criticism.

It's a modest quibble. It just, it's a, you really got to buy into the excitement of the movie for the movie to fully work for you. And so. Which I did. You did.

I do think also, and again, not to step on Monday's podcast, but like anytime action was happening, I was just watching everyone around me just like get absolutely shaken up like a soda can. And that was so funny that I, like I maybe wasn't focused on the actual sparks because I was just looking at your face.

Oh, you did turn around and look at me many times. I know, but that was the best part of you just being like, what am I doing? I will share those feelings further on Monday. So the other side of the coin is this love story, this romance, the chemistry between these two stars. We did an episode about emily blunt's career um i don't know six seven months ago i would say i was a little unsparing in my thoughts

about our choices we do those episodes specifically so you can concern troll people we love maybe that's true yeah i wouldn't say that's how my original intent but maybe that's how it is always what it comes out to you and you're just like well this didn't work i work. I'm like, well, sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. So you want to do a movie star playbook where we're like, great job. You're nailing it. Well, in a way, this is like the Ryan Gosling movie star playbook, but we don't have to call it that because he's succeeding. He's doing well.

Yeah, he's doing very well. So it's just like, do this. He is, I think, about as perfect in a movie like this as you can be. I think he is absolutely tapping into his natural charm and physical grace magnificently. Yes. Emily Blunt, who, you know, as we said, huge fans of, I think had been in a little bit of a rut or had been getting cast in a lot of like wife parts and obviously Oppenheimer Oscar nominated, but not the greatest performance of her career,

really enjoyed her in this movie. And I thought that they were wonderful together. What did you think? They were a delight. They were so, they were funny. And, you know, we remarked as we were leaving the theater, their love story is both like the centerpiece of the movie and with a couple exceptions, like completely siloed from the rest of the movie. There like is a lot of phone and texting or, you know, other imaginations where they're in different places having fairly

straightforward conversations about their romances, maybe with their romance, maybe with some jokes. And I, all of the jokes are really funny. There is one scene that they do in public that made me laugh a lot. Which scene is that? Well, when he's getting set on fire,

and then she's explaining the character's motivation to him and explaining the alien uh you know thinking psychology but it's like really about them and then i don't want to step on the other joke about the alien who contributes but it's just like the whole there are jokes with the jokes it was genuinely very funny um as they're doing some pretty standard romantic comedy here these two people have issues and they aren't on the same page and they're trying to explore it but aside from that i did wonder like did they redo half of this romance and reshoots just because they're they are either together alone on a on a set in an interior uh which is

noticeable in this movie because as you said so so much of it is during daylight on a beach or some other fantastical location, or they weren't in the same place. But it kind of doesn't matter because it works. They just got it. Yeah. You can tell if you watch the Academy Awards, there was a great presentation by the two of them, and they kind of bickered their way through an Oppenheimer, Barbie, Barbenheimer.

Yeah. Priority discussion. And you could see right in that little moment, like they just have energy together and they know how to bounce off of each other really well. And I bought it. Like, and if you buy them together and you buy them wanting to be together some

way, the movie's probably going to work for you. Yeah. And I did. I think she's, I think it's a little bit of a funky part that she elevates it's not like i'm not sure i totally know who jody is yeah no jody has like movie right and jody has been like waiting her whole life to make you know metal storm metal storm five when the guardians of the galaxy went to Dune for romance.

You know, it's... It's a little goofy. Right. And it's not totally clear because the movie has a real understanding of the goofiness of the movie itself. But is it making fun of her? It's not totally sure. Yeah, it's not parody, but it's not satire, but it's not straight comedy yeah it's not parody but it's not satire but it's not straight comedy it's some somewhere in between um i mentioned to you that it's in this lineage too of

stunt person movies um i asked you to check out hooper did you watch hooper i did watch hooper for those of you who are not familiar with hooper this is a 70s comedy that burr reynolds made in which he plays a stuntman and it bears bears some resemblances to The Fall Guy. What'd you think of Hooper? Yeah. I mean, I thought of Hooper the way that I think of all Burt Reynolds movies, the 70s action movies anyway, which are like car stunts interspersed with like Burt Reynolds being really charming for, with like very little plot.

Is that not what the fall guy is it is but it's like it's a necessarily lower fi version yeah for sure and it has

you know the 70s pacing and this I wouldn't say they're as funny as this movie no no it's not antically comically written

right it's more Burt just being quotation marks cool yeah yeah and then like a lot of shots of him in the like stationary car quote driving It's more Burt just being, quotation marks, cool. Yeah. Yeah. And then, like, a lot of shots of him in the, like, stationary car, quote, driving crazy stunts.

Which, you know, also happens in this. Sally Field looks wonderful. Yeah, and she's, were they, they were together at this time? Or they had broken up? No, I think that they got together during Smokey and the Bandit. And this is, like, the next movie. The next thing they did together. Yeah. I like Hooper. I think that they got together during Smokey and the Bandit and this is like the next movie next thing they did yeah yeah I like Hooper I think it's fun obviously Richard

Rush's the stuntman preceded this that's a more serious movie about a stuntman starring Peter O'Toole death proof I thought of stuntman Mike the Quentin Tarantino movie

I thought of Drive in which Adam I mean Adam Driver let's remake Drive well that would be good in which Adam I mean not Adam Driver Let's remake Drive with Adam Driver Well that would be good in which Ryan Gosling plays a sometime stunt driver

as well as other types of driving and also has snazzy jackets You know the jackets were like a direct callback to Drive I felt

The Miami Vice jacket he wears in this movie Absolutely And he also has like a couple He's wearing jackets Do you think I should wear like a graphic jacket like that satin jacket No I don't every day but we've already put on my

satin jacket bob dylan what era kate blanchett as bob dylan oh well that's sick silk yeah silk screened on you know what i do sometimes i'm bored i'm sitting in my uh office late at night and i'm like what's going on with the i'm Not There trailer? Let's check that out again. Just watch it. Just go to bed. I just got to remind myself about greatness in the universe. It's important to do that. I think that on your satin jacket, you should just have it say,

in cursive, see you at the movies on the back. Someone will now make that now that you said that, and they will send it to us. And I encourage them to do so. There's another kind of movie that this is like, which is, as I said, the action comedy romance kind of never works.

It's like, everybody's like, Romancing the Stone, that's a great movie. Is there another movie that you're like, this is one of my favorite movies that is an action comedy romance?

You have Mr. and Mrs. Smith on here. I think that you really, really underestimate Mr. and Mrs. Smith. It hasn't turned out well uh you know in real life like that's that's that's just a tough tough situation yes um but that movie is delightful what are the other movies i listed here six days and seven

nights is that and hash and haitian and and har. Okay, yeah, that didn't work. Miscongeniality, which is wonderful. It's okay. It's good. It's good. Listen, you think that you've got people in your mentions now? They just heard you say that Miscongeniality is not- It's okay. Wow.

It's okay. That is disrespectful. Okay, all right. You wrote down Night and Day, which, I mean, that's not good. James Mangold. Sure. And Tom Cruise. Well, which, I mean, that's not good. And... James Mangold. Sure. And Tom Cruise.

Well, sure, but it's like weird Tom Cruise. It started out as a Dylan biopic and they changed it to an action comedy romance. It's Tom Cruise when he'd figured out that he needed to do action, but not that he needed to stop emoting. It's trying to be... He's trying to be really funny.

He's really funny in that scene on the plane. Yeah. Beginning of the movie. Yeah. There's some good stuff. I miss Cameron Diaz. I like Cameron Diaz. Uh,

lost city. Santa looks great. Pretty good. Yeah. Pretty good. They should have made lost city and bullet train into one movie. Uh, don't disagree with you.

I think obviously this movie was, I would imagine this movie was green lit. I think it was probably already in motion, but the success of The Lost City and Bullet Train, they're in a lineage together as well. And then you've written down the streaming sensation, Argyle. Is it a sensation? According to the town, they were talking about Argyle being just like a runaway Apple TV Plus hit or something. Really? I don't know. I've been listening to a lot of the town. I couldn't cite which episode at this point. Love that podcast.

I mean, nobody has Apple TV Plus. I don't even understand that. I agree. And as I was saying it, I was like, this doesn't really add up. But it's funny to say that Argyle is a streaming sensation. It definitely auto plays a lot on my Apple TV when my son turns it on to try to find Sniffy. I see. You know what we say about Argyle is a streaming sensation. It definitely auto plays a lot on my Apple TV when my son turns it on to try to find Sniffy. I see. You know what we say about Argyle. Quite poor. Not a good film.

I'd like to ask you about some of the other performers in the film. Please. Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He was recently installed on the 35 under 35 list. He was installed

before you'd seen The Fall Guy. How are you feeling about that choice now that you've seen the movie he's very funny so i who is he playing he's playing matthew mcconaughey it's undoubtedly well yes i mean he is doing he is doing mcconaughey and it it's as i said it's sort of a like a loving homage because the full McConaughey in this doesn't really come out until he has to perform a monologue from, what's it called again? Metal Storm? I keep wanting to call it like Moonstar or something. Metal Storm is actually the prequel to the Metal Draft.

I don't know if you knew that. Well, then I really. So does Aaron Taylor-Johnson become the demon inside Danny Kelly's hard drive? I love the way your mind works. Thanks so much. I really, really love Metal Draft. Do you want to work in film development? Is that something that you want to do? Do you want to get in a room and be like, okay, here's hard drive. I love the way your mind works. Thanks so much. I really, really love metal drafts. Do you want to work in film development? Is that something that you want to do?

Do you want to get in a room and be like, okay, here's my idea. We're going to take the word metal and then we're going to find Nancy Meyers and we're going to see what kind of metal movie she can make. I mean, that's literally what they do. So it seems- That's the job.

Right. The problem is like, you have to go to too many meetings. Otherwise I would do it. You would never survive a day. No. Otherwise like I can- You got to respond to your email.

Absolutely not. I can go to lunch. I can send text messages. Go to lunch. Well, you say that. Like, it's not a huge part of that job. And I can just, like, toss shit out off the top of my head and then never follow up and accept seven figures.

You know? Like, that I can... That's not totally how it works. Well... Well... For some works well for some people for some people um so in his metal storm yeah yes metal monologue he's just he's like fully doing mcconaughey like basically like if magic mike were suddenly in the doom universe great call and it's really really funny and so that's when it comes together and i'm like oh this is great and then he's still in

the movie and he's just like kind of playing a jerk off with a southern accent but i i don't think it's supposed to be like a this is what mcconaughey is like in real life i just think it's just kind of like also kind of of everybody can do a McConaughey, which, or many people can, which is an important development. There's a little bit of Channing Tatum, a little bit of Brad Pitt. He's pulling from some sources.

It's always funny though when, I mean, Aaron Taylor Johnson is very well known. To do something like this is amusing. Hannah Waddingham, who is she playing? I thought Tom Cruise's publicist. I mean, producer. What's the name? Who he worked with forever?

Oh, Paula Wagner. Paula Wagner. Yeah. Is Paula Wagner a Diet Coke sipper? I don't know. That was a very significant character detail. That was like a funny and specific. I don't know.

But that seems like the archetype, at least. I also, you know, no spoilers, but I don't want to insinuate like the archetype, at least. I also, you know, no spoilers, but I don't want to insinuate that Paula Wagner has anything. Same thing with the McConaughey comparison. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just like, let's be very real. Characters may resemble real life people, but the resemblance are not whatever. No, I hadn't thought of Paula Wagner, but I think that's a good call. There's a certain kind of like high energy woman who's very caffeinated, who like being a producer is fucking hard it's not like being in development where you're just like i have an idea being a producer is just every day you're like what am

i doing to fix and it's also like the the movie star is is the business in this particular thing in the same way that like a tom cruise and tom cruise movie is absolutely um it was nice to see winston duke i wish he had a little bit more to do. But he's very good when he does. Very good. He plays the stunt coordinator on the film and clearly a longtime friend of Gosling's character. He's like the rom-com best friend.

Exactly. He's the Judy Greer of this movie. And he gets like a little 20-minute moment where it becomes his movie and Gosling's movie. Really enjoyed them together. He gets to do some stunts, punch some people. He does.

Or pretend to punch some people. Did you clock Teresa Palmer? I don't, who was that? She was the girlfriend of the Aaron Taylor Johnson character. Oh, I mean,

I did see her, but how do I know her? She's just been in a great many films over the years. Hacksaw Ridge, have you seen that film? Yes. Warm Bodies

with Nicholas Holt. Yeah. Lights Out, the horror movie. Okay. She's a pretty successful actor. Well Yeah. Lights Out, the horror movie. Okay. She's a pretty successful actor. Well, yeah. I was like,

is this a too small part for Teresa Bomber? But then I guess maybe not. It's an action sequence. She's good with the sword. I enjoyed that. Stephanie Hsu? I like that scene.

I don't, do you get what I'm saying now that I told you that I was like, why is she only in six minutes of this movie? She does get a good punchline at the end of the movie for her character. She gets a good punchline.

And I mean, I don't want to talk about sequels, but you know, she gets the setup. It's a good point. Could be a bigger part there. I hadn't thought of that. How'd you feel about the needle drops? I thought they were really funny. I mean, I was very nervous because I knew that Taylor Swift's All Too Well played a crucial part in this movie. And I, again, spoilers, if you don't want to know about the execution of the Taylor Swift reference in this movie, they respect the original.

They keep to the edited version. This movie is canon. And that means a lot to me. The arc of it? The arc of history is long and it bends towards me being right about this. That's all that it bends to? And also that math is the universal language.

What do you do? You smoke a joint before every pod now? And you're like, I'm going to have three things I'm going to say specifically for... I think I've been really, you you know conversant on a wide range of topics i i you know what i agree you've been doing a great job i appreciate everything you've been doing on the show i think that's how you should end every episode sean you should thank me for producing and you should thank amanda for being really conversant on a wide range of topics

we're really in a place now where I'm like I've either got one more month of this or a hundred more years like there's no in between like this is either my destiny and my fate

or like I gotta get out and I really don't know I genuinely don't the music in this movie with the exception of Taylor Swift and an incredibly funny All I Do Is Win drop by

DJ Khaled which is so good I'm sorry if that's a spoiler for somebody who's still listening doesn't want that spoiled but it's just so funny everything else is like some dude who was born in 1968's idea of cool movie music it's just like ACDC and Kiss and Journey and The Darkness and Phil Collins and excuse me please do not disrespect Phil Collins. Excuse me. Please do not disrespect Phil Collins in my presence. I'm not disrespecting him. He was incredibly popular 32 years ago. Did you know Phil Collins

was in A Hard Day's Night? I did know that. And then he hosted a documentary about it. What's your favorite Genesis album? I don't know. But I don't know the albums. But Invisible is like an incredibly important song to me okay um the the phil collins drop in this movie i was like just stop playing

the movie and just turn the song on just like turn the song up much much louder which they sort of do yeah we're in that nether zone where like we were six when phil collins was really hitting and so it was it was like kind of my introduction to mtv along with michael jackson and prince and madonna it's like phil collins was right there which is another benefit to me about this movie is like you know this is old movie stars this is this is for us it's for us yeah it's for us there is no sabrina carpenter in this uh that's okay would that be a problem for you? No, I would be excited. I think Ryan Gosling could really do a wonderful line reading of Espresso.

I still have not heard that song. Okay. Do you want to sing a little bit for me right now? No, I don't. Okay. What else do you want to say about The Fall Guy? Anything? Go see it.

It's really fun. It is really fun. Don't overthink it. Do you think it's going to be a success no idea they're trying and it's starting early you know it has this like the coveted marvel may slot it's may finally it's may it's been beautiful in los angeles i know but we are except except for the gray weather the gray morning the may gray the june gloom it's it's gonna be day-to-day for me with my emotions um as we've learned like i said one month or 100 years but this is a very like fun smart dumb summer blockbuster there's not a lot of that like at the movies or i guess aside from challengers

but that's just smart challengers are smart this is something that i thought about all the whinging and complaining that we do and especially that i do about this kind of stuff this is technically ip as a tv show but not really and this this and Challengers and Love, Lies Bleeding and the horror movies, you know, Immaculate. Like, things are... I didn't realize the box office is way down

and I'm sure that's why. Yeah, I was going to say the box office is like... But whatever. For our purposes. For our purposes, it's been pretty cool. If you've listened this far...

Civil War, you know, like original movies. Regardless of your feelings about it. Do you know A24 sent Zach a Civil War sweatshirt but I did not receive one hard to believe

what do you think they're going to send you hi guys I love you does it just does it just say Civil War on the front no it

no it has like what kind of American are you it has like a illustration artistic illustration of the characters

I think honestly from the Jesse Plemons scenes like it arrived that's actually what's going on my satin jacket It has like an illustration, artistic illustration of the characters. I think, honestly, from the Jesse Plemons scenes. Like, it arrived. That's actually what's going on my satin jacket. It's Plemons from Civil War and I'm getting those red glasses. It arrived and my questions were like, did you pay for that? You know, no. And then, you can't wear that in public. Yeah, you can't.

I would advise Zach to not. Yeah, and then, well, they didn't send me one. They didn't send me one. I'm not really sure what the issue is there. Yeah, me either. What's going on? What happened? Yeah, and then, well, they didn't send me one. They didn't send me one. I'm not really sure what the issue is there. Yeah, me either. What's going on? What happened? Yeah, well, we know why they didn't send it to you.

Well, yeah. Yeah. Are you... No, I'm going to save that. That's for a later pod. 35 million box office? That would be nice. That would be good.

It's got a bit of a runway because the next big movie. Well, we got Apes next week. Yeah. You're not a believer? No. In terms of box office or in full stop? A little bit of both. Interesting.

How are you going to get through an entire episode of Apes content with me? I mean, as I said, I have an interest in a variety of subjects. Yes, and you're conversant in many of them. I've seen the most recent three. They're pretty good. Yeah. I like the first one the most. That's the wrong opinion.

Wait, the original film? The original original or the first of the new trilogy? James Franco and John Lithgow. That is, you should be sent to jail for that take. Again, spoiling future episodes. I, the third one was kind of,

meh. I know everyone likes it because it's just the apes are fighting each other, but that was also a little bit like, they're not real, you know, and I can see that. Yeah. Might be time to get you back to bed.

So before we do that, let's talk about our top fives. I guess you've got like imaginary. No, you've got if, which is the imaginary. Yes, imaginary friends. Imaginary friends. From the imagination of John Krasinski. Right, which I suggested.

We got an invitation to a family screening. Yes, we did. And I suggested that we take Chris Ryan as our family. Yes, my son. And you were like, he's not going to be up for that he's not gonna want to see if if he if he wants to see if i'll be shocked it no i know he doesn't but that's why it's funny you want to make him see it yeah and then make him be really bad i mean do you want to like how how many thoughts are you gonna have about i think we should kneel at the altar of Krasinski Cinema. Yeah. And if, don't you just want Chris to go like absolutely ham

for 30 minutes on the inconsistencies of imaginary friends and what's wrong with children and Kirby Puckett? I think we should pause the show for a month out of respect

for the work that Krasinski did. Have a kind of papal conclave and then we'll send up the white smoke when we've landed on our opinion of the film. Okay. Does that sound good?

No, we're going to do an episode about the movie. End the movie back to black. Many people are saying it will be one of the best episodes ever. Bobby's already trying to go on vacation. Yeah, it's a tough one. It's a shame that I can't just have you approve my vacation request live on air since you're not my direct manager. That's got real like, hey, I really came down with something this morning.

You think you could self-record today? I'll edit it, no problem, but could self-record today I'll edit it no problem but just self-record I just can't listen to that one twice guys I just can't listen to chat of that

those two films who knows maybe If will be great I just think it would be fun to take Chris with us you know what the problem is there is like an I miss Chris

he's in Norway I miss him too I love the man like a brother and like a son you know when I carry him in my Bjorn all the way to the screening of If he's not evenway i miss him too i love the man like he's jumping into i'm like a son you know and i carry him in my bjorn all the way to the screening of if he's not even here for the sixers game where they're bricking for chicken the entire entire game you know about this i'm i like i'm back

in they got me you know the sixers got you back in like i was like i i can't this is ruining my family this is just the energy in this house is terrible. And then they were like, brick and for chicken. All four quarters. Just like, yes! Do you know that I have a special t-shirt that is like, bring back the frosty freeze that my sister-in-law got me? Because before it was brick and for chicken, it was you would get, everyone would get a free frosty in the third quarter, which is just a great incentive. Do you know what we're doing?

Case of the giggles today. So for anyone who doesn't know in Philadelphia. Keep going. So for anyone who doesn't know, in Philadelphia, there's free Chick-fil-A. If the Knicks, in this case, eat shit, Sean, miss both of their free throws. And the people go crazy. The people of Philadelphia really shine in this moment. Bobby's with me. That's right.

They love the chicken. They go really hard for the chicken. And frankly, I understand. I do too! I think it's good branding that the Bricken is spelled K-E-N at the end, just like chicken. It's like the cows who don't know how to spell. Right. I am sorry, Sean. I did forget to tell you that they released nitrous

oxide into the studio today. Not for me! I feel completely normal. But somehow, into the studio today. And that's the explanation behind this. I feel completely normal. But somehow, we've got Barry Keoghan's The Joker over here. One month or a hundred years.

Get groceries delivered across the GTA from 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. Ryan Gosling, Top 5s. Mm-hmm.

Was this a fun exercise for you? Yeah. He's really great. I think the way that you framed it relative to Zach's piece is on point, which is that he has clicked through every kind of movie stardom since he burst onto the scene in the aftermath of his Mickey Mouse stardom. Which is another, yeah. Early 2000s, basically.

2001, I feel like the believer, his part in the believer was kind of the announcement of him as a serious actor. Right. Is that fair? I can't recall if he had like something in the late 90s. He had Young Hercules.

What's Young Hercules? It was a show where he was Young Hercules. Really? Yeah. I'm not aware of that. This was like a major Margot Robbie

talking point during the Barbie press tour. Oh, wow. Okay. Oh, you know what? 44 episodes of a show called Breaker High. Haven't seen it.

Not familiar with that. Neither have I. He's a Canadian man. Was it on in Canada? Doesn't say. Okay. I misspoke, though. Yes, it aired on YTV in Canada.

There you go. Oh, but it aired here in the kids' block on UPN, which I frankly don't remember. What was your favorite UPN show? I don't remember. Homeboys in Outer Space? Yeah. I enjoyed that show.

His big breakthrough is Remember the Titans. Yeah. That was the first time that we really saw him. And The Believer is immediately after that, followed by Murder by Numbers, which is, I think, where I first saw him. And also where Sandra Bullock first saw him. Yes. And then he and Sandra Bullock started dating, even though he's much younger than her, is how you know that ryan gosling has it and has always had it so first of all i think that movie might be really stupid but i love it yeah

uh it's directed by barbara schroeder did you know that director of reversal of fortune i had forgotten that it kind of makes sense why it's so entertaining because it's that's something that he does really really well uh but yeah he's i mean he's now been he's been in a lot of crappy movies as a lot of movie stars who've had a 20 25 year run

like he has but he's also consistently been willing to take interesting risks you know look at that period where he was doing

Half Nelson and Lars and the Real Girl and Blue Valentine and you know in the aftermath of the success of the notebook all good things

please do not erase his work with Kirsten Dunst. Do you want to discuss... That's not on your list, is it? No, it's not on my list. Okay, I haven't looked at your list yet.

I watched that movie for the first time this week. Yikes. It's back in the news because The Jinx 2 is airing on HBO right now. All good things, terrible. Really, it didn't work.

What happened there? I mean... Two absolute geniuses. And it's the Gettys, right? No, it's the Dursts work what happened there i mean two two absolute geniuses and it's the gettys right no it's the dursts oh it's based on robert durst right right right right and do you know the story the story is so fascinating so andrew jarecki is coming off of i think capturing the freedmans figuring out what he's going to do next in his career he's like i want to do a scripted movie he stumbles upon this story about ro Durst, who's the son of a very wealthy real estate developer in New York, whose wife has mysteriously disappeared, whose neighbor has mysteriously been killed, and another woman from his past has also disappeared. And somewhere 20

years into this, people are like, what's going on with this Robert Durst character? And he gets tried for murder. So the movie is like a frame of this guy's life like through the 70s 80s 90s and robert durst who the movie is based on sees the movie and likes the movie right which is very ambiguous but very clearly like this guy probably killed these people and then he contacts the filmmaker and he's like i want to talk about your movie and then he contributes a commentary on the dvd of the movie and then jarecki convinces him to make a documentary about his story which then leads to in the real time making of the documentary his conviction in the murder cases that's one of the craziest things that's ever happened in movies and it all started with ryan

gosling in a bad movie in a bad movie that's okay and like a borderline unwatchable movie yeah well nevertheless he's made some some great ones and some stinkers he's in this interesting i don't know i guess this is kind of era three he's out of heartthrob zone but he's also out of brooding artiste zone and he's kind of fully engaged that. In movie star. That movie stardom that you're describing. Yeah. I don't know.

I feel like this is. Barbie is maybe like phase four. Phase. So what are the three phases? So you had like heartthrob phase. Then, you know, I'm an indie guy with my band phase. And then trying for leading like leading man i mean he does first man he does la la land he's like oh yeah a little bit of like his robert redford moment

right like he's trying like should i be you know a classical actor yes and that's a good call then with steve mcqueen robert redford and I, I guess gray man is like a failed attempt at this, but Barbie, it's just like, Oh no, he's a movie star. Gray man to me felt like him very willingly trying to avoid putting on a cape,

but wanting to get a little bit of that Kwan, like a little bit of that experience. And after doing Damon Chazelle, Terrence Malick, Denis Villeneuve, and Chazelle again, back to back. Yes.

And it obviously doesn't work for a variety of reasons. I mean, that movie is just a fiasco. And these other two movies do feel connected. You guys were so, so mad on that podcast. I remember that. I was still on leave

and it was when I also that's when I got COVID so I watched The Gray Man during like the true height of me probably like the two hour window

where I was the most COVID-y of all my COVID it was um that seemed the right time I think it was my birthday movie that year too so that was really really disappointing

because I missed your birthday because I had COVID that's right sorry it's okay i'm glad you're feeling better i think that the gray man and barbie and the fall guy are all connected yeah but i think that's like movie star he's pushing towards something now where he's like i'm on snl i'm how did you feel about him dressing up as uh was he beavis? He was Beavis. He's Beavis, yeah. At the premiere of The Fall Guy.

I thought that was funny. I mean, he walked the carpet as a normal guy. Oh, he did? And then he came back? Yeah. Oh. He posed with all the stuntmen. It would have been cooler if he just did Beavis.

Well, I don't think contractually he's allowed to do that. I think they paid him millions of dollars to show up as Ryan Gosling. Is he more handsome now or was he more handsome in 2004? Well, I think he's more handsome now. I think sometimes he goes a little heavy

with the bronzer and maybe some other, you know, I don't want to speculate. But I think in Nice Guys, not in Nice Guys, in Fall Guy,

that is a really, really handsome guy. It's really funny, too, because in the movie, there's a joke early on where Aaron Taylor Johnson is making fun of him for having a potato head. Yeah. He doesn't have the same jawline that Aaron Taylor Johnson has. Yeah. Because, you know, he's in his 40s. He's starting to look, you know, there's a part of him that looks like it's been constructed or bronzed or makeuped or hair dye. Right.

And then there's another part of him that's like it's kind of a guy in his 40s you know like he's starting to look not like the winsome beautiful boy that he was yeah but he i mean he was a beautiful fairly skinny like heartthrob boy right and now he's just and then and then he was like indie boy and then you know and like we i too had a indie boy phase that basically corresponded with his and then you know and like I too had an indie boy phase that basically corresponded with his and then

now we're all grown I mean sure I lived in Brooklyn what happened then you know we don't have to talk about it right now were any of those guys

public school teachers who were also drug addicts not public school teachers sadly can't speak to anything else okay all wore the really tight jeans, though. Of the era?

Yeah. Okay. Rag and bone? Probably, yes. You want to go first? Well, my... Oh, Jesus Christ. Well, I'm sorry.

What are you doing here? You know what? I have to be myself. Jesus Christ almighty. Do you want to go first? I'll go first. That's fine. My number five is The Place Beyond the Pines.

I just remembered this movie three months ago. I was like, remember this? Yeah. This was a great time. Place Beyond the Pines is a tricky pick for him because he's really only in about half of the movie. And if you haven't seen The Place Beyond the Pines, I'm sorry if I've just spoiled it for you. It's been out for 12 years, so deal with it. It's an epic crime family story

that takes place in Schenectady that is meant to kind of pay homage to films like The Godfather about how these historical connections that fathers and sons have. That's the big Derek C. and France idea. And after making Blue Valentine together, they make this movie.

It's Ryan Gosling, Ben Mendelsohn, Bradley Cooper, Emery Cohen, Eva Mendes, Mahershala Ali. Incredible cast in this movie. The first half of the movie in particular with Ryan Gosling as basically a stunt motorcycle driver who becomes a wheel man for a bank robber. Right. And Ben Mendelsohn, who is also kind of in a battle for time with his son. And Ava Mendez is his ex-girlfriend, who's the mother of his child. That is the movie.

That's the movie of our time. That is like, for me, I'm like, this is rock and roll poetry. I love it. The second half of the movie i think is good and flawed my number five is another movie featuring many of the same characteristics from the same time period that i'm not going to spoil because it shows up elsewhere on your list but my number five is like this this was an era this was like this was a time time. He was pursuing a style. And he was doing a thing where he was basically only in crime dramas, didn't speak very much, had an indie man, and was like the internet's girlfriend, you know, boyfriend.

Yes. And like, this is the time of Hey Girl. And this is the time of him just like saving people in the street. Do you remember this? I do. It was a whole thing like and it was and it was very very powerful uh and he you know and he that's the he he gave you what you needed and he gave me what yeah exactly it was really quite special it was like it was quite a time and quite a time to be coming of age blue valentine's not on my list and it's not on your list. It's not. But that,

I mean, that was a thing. It's a very good film. It's a hard film to watch. The making of that movie is bizarre. Where Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling

moved in together with Derek Seay in France for like a year. Like it was a long time. And like we heard all about it and you know, and we were like living through them

working through all of their things and then fighting on the Manhattan Bridge. And you're just like, all right, this is a little close. But that's what was going on. He led us into some of that stuff, though. It's a very important, formative time. Okay.

Well, why don't you do your number four, because it's not on my list. Okay. My number four is La La Land. The much maligned by you. No, I like it. I don't love it. I think it's, I've just said it's my least favorite Chazelle, but I like it. I really like it. And, you know, and part of it is that it is in many ways an homage to classic Hollywood movies and specifically Singing in the Rain. He is wonderful in it and i think his non-jean kellyness especially in the

the singing but also there he is he's doing the dancing and the musical numbers and the razzmatazz but like with a hint of indie you know reluctant gosling from to the the the Gosling that I grew up on. And I think it's very affecting. Also still one of the greatest endings of a movie in recent memory. Terrific ending. An ending that now makes even more sense when you look at the way that he's ended all of his movies, Chazelle.

And great chemistry with Emma Stone. And that's the other thing. Do you have an Emma Stone movie on your list? You other thing. We don't. Do you have an Emma Stone movie on your list? You don't. I don't. I thought about putting Crazy Stupid Love on a movie that I think like.

It's. Eh. Sure. Mostly works. He's very funny in it. Yeah. I mean it's only really one third their movie too.

And this being a reunion for them was one of the reasons for its success. Crazy Stupid Love I think to people a little bit younger than us I think is a very big movie. Yes. Yeah. Bobby I don't know if that's a little bit younger than us, I think it's a very big movie. Bobby, I don't know

if that's a movie for you, like a movie that you really like. Huge movie for me because I was such a big Gosling fan from The Notebook on and such a big Emma Stone fan from Superbad on. Yeah.

And I was like really tapped into Easy A that was like right around the time that I was in the movie theater twice a week. And so Crazy Stupid Love was a huge movie for me. I watched it a lot at the time, revisited it in like my younger adulthood,'t love it revisited it again during the pandemic

and i was like maybe there's some stuff here and it's primarily in the chemistry obviously between gosling and stone which is absolutely electric and fantastic i don't really love the steve carell part of that movie yeah it's kind of a whiff for me me too but that's why they're on screen together that's there's electricity julianne is he married to Julianne Moore in that movie? Yes. Yes. I mean, okay. Well, there's that really great reveal when it becomes clear that Emma Stone,

that Steve Carell is her dad. Tremendous car crash comic scene right there. It's an awesome scene. It's really good. And Gosling is hilarious in that scene. It's a good movie. Maybe just like I was a little too old when it came out to love it. like, it's a good movie. Maybe just like I was a little too old when it came out.

Yeah, it's a generational thing. Okay, nevertheless, my only thing with La La Land is like, they do have great chemistry. She's an A plus in that movie. I think because of what you're saying

is part of the reason why I'm a little bit off on it. I know most people will just totally disagree with me. This is a beloved film, but I'm like, he's not really... He's also not... He's not beloved film, but I'm like, he's not really, he's also not,

he's not, he's because he's not Gene Kelly. He's not Gene Kelly, you know? Yeah. But a little bit of the point of the movie, he like, he's not Gene Kelly and spoiler alert,

like they don't end up together. She ends up with the guy from that thing you do. And it's like a massive movie star. Yeah. You're right. And he has his club and they have a moment. Tom Everett Scott. Yeah. Yeah. And they have a moment tom everett scott yeah yeah

and they have a moment imagining like what could have been you know and like his acting like at the at the from the piano in that coda alone what about the jazz stuff i mean shouldn't you've been more of a bob dylan guy you gotta talk to your guy about that that's in your house you know chazelle yeah he's making a prison movie right now we're back i just say we are back dame dolla that's right so back little damien more like big damien let's go about little damien um some of chris's finest work there excellent excellent that's the hardest i've laughed this year on the pod my number four is first man also a Damien Chazelle movie.

Kind of the flip side to the coin that we were just describing. Obviously, story of Neil Armstrong and his complete isolation from all living humans,

including his wife, Claire Foy. I think this is a very beautiful movie. I haven't rewatched it since it came out when I watched it three times

and each time I watched it it got better and better better and better but i think what he was going for there was a certain kind of movie stardom and movie acting that no longer really exists right it's a it's an important entry in the ryan gosling not saying anything in a movie canon it's kind of the end of it it is but that is like and and it is notable how he really goes into like motor mouth comedy things after that he can do both but he was doing this for a while and he really he doesn't talk this was what this is why i put on the list i was like this is the conclusion of an era and it's a beautiful movie that a lot of people did not see um in part because it came out in like a very big movie year.

And I think a lot of people felt like they'd seen it all when it comes to this kind of storytelling before. But if you haven't seen First Man, I recommend it. Okay, what's your number three? Mine is The Big Short, which you were too much of a coward to put on your list. I wrote Special Dispensation for The Big Short. Yeah, but I mean, speaking of Motormouth. Again, this is an ensemble movie. He's not in it for that much.

It's like, you know, Gosling as character actor and just walks away with the thing. I have fashion friends, you know? Like, just... The Jenga scene? Shit. Double shit. Like, he's perfect.

Dog shit. Yeah. When you come for the payday, I'm gonna rip your eyes out. He's phenomenal in this movie. He's in four scenes, but he is phenomenal. Yeah. And this is like the more acid-tinged version of his crazy stupid love character.

But he's still wearing a suit that is tighter than we wear suits today. I mean, the real J.Crew era of guys jumping in the very fitted suit you remember this you worked at gq at that time yeah you had those suits yeah um still might but he's just a lot meaner uh and in keeping with the movie and it's very funny you just remind me the color of the wig or the color that they dye his hair whatever they do to it is just unbelievable he's like an 80 year old guy on Long Island who just decided to go back to dark brown all of a sudden.

That's what his hair looks like in this movie. Why do you think he's he's just going gray prematurely and so he's made a move? Is that the idea of that choice?

Probably. Yeah. It's the fakest looking hair color you've ever seen on Ryan Gosling. It's so great. He's tremendous

in that movie. So I got no beef with it. Number three is Half Nelson which I revisited yesterday too. And You're just here he's he's tremendous in that movie so i got no beef with it number three is half nelson which i revisited yesterday too and you're just here for the sad boys well that's a complicated movie and it is a very i think a very honest movie like not i think it it fits a lot of the hallmarks of your indie sundance darling of you know big star like quote, like, quote-unquote, slumming it

to do something real and grimy and setting it in a world. But Shereek Epps, who plays, like, his counterpart, the young girl who discovers that he's a teacher with an addiction, is amazing in that movie. And it's when Bowdoin and Fleck, pre-Marvel, Miss Captain Marvel era, when they were making movies like this. And he got Oscar nominated

for this movie you know like this was his announcement as a major serious actor and it's very good and like I think I revisited

The Believer this week too and I was like this is not as good it's not that it's not resonant the idea that's in the movie The Believer but like it doesn't

didn't play as well to me. It felt more like a relic of the time. Half Nelson and I didn't feel that as much. So I figured I'd give it a shout. Also because I figured you would pick some of the films you've got on your list. So we're looking for balance here on The Big Picture. I mean, sorry that he's just made perfect movies. Such as number two, a film called Barbie.

That's a perfect film? No, it's not a perfect film, but he's very good in it. He is. I mean, and it is, it was the announcement of, like, Ryan Gosling is just gonna carry the industry, or at least

the Oscars, on his back. And he was delightful. I think he's amazing in it. Yeah. And it's an obvious pick. Great job. Anytime Ryan Gosling

does a dream ballet in a movie, it will make my top five. Do you think he'll ever do one again? I mean, let's round it out. Great job. Anytime Ryan Gosling does a dream ballet in a movie, it will make my top five. You think he'll ever do one again? I mean, let's round it out. Let's do three. You know, bring it home. Interesting.

You think he should reunite with Chazelle? I guess they've done two. I don't want him in the prison movie. That's not the direction I want Ryan Gosling. My number two is The Nice Guys. Rewatched this on a plane. Many people are saying this is the most underrated movie of the 2010s.

Yeah. Have I told you about my idea for 2025 for the pod? No. I want to do... So that's the 100 years version of this. No, no. This is the version where

you guys are both off the show and I'm making the show on an island by myself and not releasing it. Whoa. Whoa. Coll collateral damage over here. What did I do? You did nothing. It's just, it's one month or a hundred years. You're a brick and for chicken, you know?

That's what happens. Yeah. If the Knicks lose in seven to the Sixers, then I have to leave the ringer and I'll probably start making this pod solo. No, I want to do, I think we should do the 50 best movies of the 21st century and okay like in a countdown style look through the year what oh so we do like 10 10 at a time no no like

literally one a week oh 50 for 50 oh great plus two weeks vacation that's nice hard to believe that's where your mind went the international language um i'm planning my flag so no other podcasts do this but we're doing this okay great idea you you're a visionary thank you i appreciate it um but i in my head i was like god is the nice guys on the list like is this one of my favorite movies? I don't know. Maybe overstating things. Okay. Maybe I just was just super plain high

when I saw it. I mean it's really nice to watch a really funny movie. He's so funny in the movie. It's like there aren't that many funny movies. That's what it is. Especially in the last 20 years

there are just not that many funny movies. He is doing the fall guy performance in this movie. It's very similar to the tone. I don't know when the last time you saw Nice Guys is, but, you know, obviously Shane Black,

like, hearkening back to 70s buddy cop movies like Freebie and the Bean and Busting and stuff like that. And it's just fantastic. He and Russell Crowe are great together. They have real chemistry. And my girl Margaret Qualley cooking in that movie. Kim Basinger, very funny, is an underhanded government official.

Anyway. Now I'm thinking about the list of the 50 movies. Yeah, it's a great project. So we have to have it all done. We have to have the 50 list done by the end of the year. Maybe. I'll tell you my thinking. I'm already spoiling some of my ideas about this but we should be saving a slot for a 2025 movie interesting oh right so you can like go through the year and be like this is our one you don't and we don't have to pick you know two movies from each year some years yeah yeah but it's just sort of i mean you just can't go i know i give you a hard time about you know discipline and structure but you can't go. I know I give you a hard time about, you know, discipline and structure, but you can't go willy nilly through a list without knowing how it's going to end. You know what I'm saying? What would be more fun than doing this, though, on the pod?

Like, even though it's a project. Right. It's fun, but it's just like suddenly we're going to be like, oh, no, we fucked up. And this shouldn't be at 30. This should be at, you know. Okay. It could be a living document. I'm dealing with the pain of

not putting ariana greenblatt on the teen list from the episode earlier this week this is what we do a teen list i did i did remember mckenna grace oh right the people hard yeah i said all those names i knew who most of them were okay bob what do you think of that idea in the countdown i think it's a great idea i don't think that it needs to be totally locked for the first, you know, 20 weeks of the year. Because you know what's going to be in the top 25, right? I think so. You wouldn't be so worried. At least the top 10, right?

Got to wrong foot some people, though, you know? Got to be like social network number 50. You know, you got to really like keep them on their toes. So what you're saying is you have to lie. I mean, this is like the lost writer's room, you know, it's just like we have

no idea where it's going and then look what happened. More to come on this. Let's not spoil it. Nice Guys is number two. Your number one is what? It's a film called The Notebook.

This is your number one Ryan Gosling movie. Do you fucking understand how good The Notebook is? Is it? It's so good incredible like the ryan gosling rachel mcadams half is fucking electric and it's another thing where he doesn't really talk that much but the smoldering charm and charisma is just palpable it's an announcement

like this is actually his most leading man movie of all time. And just because there's some stuff about, you know, dementia and unrealistic expectations and the old person half, people look down upon it.

1940 South Carolina. Nary a racist to be found in this film. Yeah, that is tough. It's, I mean, actually, there, well, no, I guess he's not being racist.

He's just, the dad is looking down on the poor person. You know who plays Ryan Gosling's dad? Is it? Who is, who? It's very, it's powerful. It's Sam Shepard. Yes, it is. Do you remember who plays Ryan Gosling's friend

who dies in World War II in this single most unnecessary scene in the whole movie? Kevin Connolly. Yes. Yeah. I haven't seen this in a while. I know this is a podcast. I know this is an exchange of ideas.

I'm not interested in your ideas on this. I support you. Okay, there you go. I support you. I support you as well, Bobby. That was so diplomatic. It's a phenomenon of a film. Critical to his career.

I got no quibbles. He's wonderful at it. And he and McAdams are dynamite. And I wish that they had made eight more movies together. And maybe some babies. I mean, you remember the MTV VMAs when they won Best Kiss? I do. And then he strides up.

That's an incredible moment. They're just really good at it. Yeah. Well, this is another thing about him. He's good at that stuff. He's good at it. That stuff is hard to do well and to not be smarmy and to not seem desperate. And he never seems desperate when he does that stuff. I'm just Ken at the Oscars. That did not seem desperate. It seemed cool.

It seemed fun. Right. It seems like he was gracing us with, you know, his gifts. That's it. That's it. Speaking of his gifts, number one, Drive. Really powerful. That was number five on your list. Yeah. Is Drive like a great film? I think it's kind of like The Notebook for boys. Yeah. You know, it's like, this is kind of a dumb movie. Yeah, it doesn't talk very much. It's the apex of him not talking. Yes. And being very still, you know,

because the acting direction that is given to everyone in the movie is like pain relief, like do not move. Yes. And he can do it and everyone else is really straight. Yes, his stillness is very powerful.

You know, it is kind of like The Notebook, which is also kind of a throwback movie, like an epic romance kind of a film. This is an epic isolated man doing crime movie

with a wonderful supporting cast. You pointed out last night to me, you were like, oh yeah, Christina Hendricks is in this movie. It's a real 2011. I totally forgot.

I rewatched it yesterday and I had totally forgotten she was in it and I was like, oh yeah, that was a moment. Oscar Isaac too before we knew much about him.

One of the first times I saw him as I recall. His character's name is Standard? That's sick. It's just awesome. Yeah. Nicholas Winningrefn after this movie

I was like, we're going straight to the moon. It didn't totally work out that way. I do like Only God Forgives. Chris Ryan and I are the only two bros in the world that don't like Only God Forgives. And Tim and I are the only two bros in the world that don't like Only God Forgives.

And Tim. And Tim Simons. Who got the DVD on sale. Blu-ray, please. Oh, no. I think it was a DVD. I don't think so. Well, Tim can let us know.

Speaking of Tim, if you're in the Los Angeles area, he's hosting a screening of the film Black Hat at Vidiot's. I'd just like to support him in that effort. I can't say for sure whether I think Black Hat is good. Actually, I can't. I don't think it's very good. But I do love Tim. So if you're in LA, maybe there's tickets still available when you're on your

commute this morning. Drive is just sick. We should have it on the rewatchables. That soundtrack was also such a moment. It was just a real sense memory. Yeah, a real hero. It was really, really intense to be 27 so that character in that time had a scorpion on his on his satin jacket what animal would you

have what creature what insect what reptile what fish i don't know i don't really spend a lot of time identifying with animals i'll leave that to the children absolutely horrible answer what do you think it should be sea lion great thanks so much Baba would you put it what animal would you put on the back of your jacket a wolf obviously

wolf is a good one big wolf guy you know where is that they thought to be lone wolves that's not really a thing though they're family creatures but I love my family love dogs love wolves tattooed on my wrist do you i do can you show it to me yeah sure you

never noticed that oh wow howling at the moon you and novak djokovic that's right me and novak djokovic my idol yeah you didn't this was a couple maybe last year where he just gave some after, after Matt's speech, we was just like, I'm a wolf. Like I'm a, I'm alone chasing the thing. It was,

it was a lot. That sounds bad. Yeah. Okay. You feel like we've done a good job here? Yeah. Go see the fall guy. It's really fun.

Um, I agree. Do you like to have fun? Go. You should see the fall guy. If you don't like to have fun, go make a spreadsheet. That's really fun um i agree do you like to have fun go you should see the fall guy if you don't like to have fun go make a spreadsheet that's really rude if you like to have fun i think you should absolutely listen to next week's episode in which we walk through five ways you can now watch a movie in this life and whether or not any of those five ways are the true future of movie watching. Nobody watches more movies than me. I'm not sure if I'll be watching it in all of these ways in

the future, but some of them I will. How many of the five you think you feel fully committed to right now? Two. Okay. But I haven't, I got to figure out my... You do have to. We got a text fan. You got to cut that. It's a spoiler. Oh, sorry. I'll just bleep it. I'll bleep it. Oh, yeah.

That's good. Okay. Five different films, almost all of which we've seen before. Not entirely. Five different ways, five different discussions about those things. Looking forward to it. Thanks to our producer, Bobby Wagner, for his work on this episode. We'll see you next week.