The Rewatchables - ‘Adventureland’ With Bill Simmons and Juliet Litman

Episode Date: March 21, 2023

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Juliet Litman put on their “Games Games Games” T-shirts and clock in at the carnival to rewatch the 2009 comedy ‘Adventureland,’ starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, and Martin Starr. Producer: Craig Horlbeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey everyone, it's Ariel Hawani, and I wanted to let you know that each and every week, I'm part of a great program called The Ringer MMA Show. I hosted alongside two absolutely brilliant minds. Their names, Chuck Mindenhall and Pizzie Carroll, and every Thursday, a new episode drops where we preview the weekend in mixed martial arts and react to all the biggest news. Plus, after every UFC pay-per-view, we give you a post-fight show. So this is what you have to do. Just follow the Ringer M-M-M-A show on your Spotify app.

So you don't miss an episode. We'll talk to you then. This episode is brought to you by Adobe Firefly, the all-in-one creative studio with AI-powered image and video generation. Built for today's creative process, Firefly helps you generate, edit, and experiment fast. Because the asks aren't getting smaller. And the timelines?

Ooh, yeah, still tight. With all the best creative AI models in one place, Firefly brings your ideas to life. Learn more at Adobe.com slash firefly. This episode is brought to you by McDonald's. Right now at McDonald's, you can get great deals all day with McValue. Jumpstart your day with the under $3 menu featuring a sausage McMuffin for just $1.50. Or grab the perfect lunch with the McDouble for just $250.

Honestly, nothing pairs with a movie marathon like a McDouble in hand. Get even more value with McValue. Only McDonald's. Bada, Bap, Bap, Bap. Limited time only. Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher for delivery. The rewatchables is brought to by the Ringer Podcast Network,

where you can find a variety of podcasts with Julia Lippman, including food news, Bachelor Party. You're on Ringer Dish. You're on the Rewatchables right now. My name is Bill Simmons. We're doing Adventureland, a movie that got a little bit lost at the end of the 2000s, and now is an absolute gem. It's next.

On April 3rd. I don't have much work experience. You are hired. The director of Superbad asks, did your first job suck this much? Oh my God. You'll get better at avoiding that. The Onion Raves Adventureland is very funny. You get a five-minute bathroom break every two hours.

I recommend saving a few of those up in case you have to go number two. The director of Superbad makes a triumphant return. I think I should probably be on the rides department. Oh, you're more of a game guy. Derry, you're very gaming. Let's party! You're guaranteed to have a good time. People are trying to kill me.

Get it out of my doorway. Get out of my! Can you bubble up? Thanks, Mommy. Hey, no problem. Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Martin Star, Bill Hader, Kristen Whig, and Ryan Reynolds. Every time you meet a beautiful woman,

don't she imagine what she'd look like, naked? Come in? Yeah, you go ahead. I'll be in a second. Overhead him. Look at him. You got him. Adventureland.

You mean drinking drugs? No. Your eyes are red. Have you been crying? Yeah, maybe like a little bit. They are in theaters April 3rd. All right, Adventureland. It came out in 2009.

Did okay, not great. I think it's gained steam over the years. It is certainly the definition of rewatchables. You can jump into it. Really, at any point, it's a Greg Matola movie that has Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Whig, and Bill Hater.

Yeah. You should start there. Yeah. They're all really good in it, too. They're all at a really fun time of their careers, which we'll get into. But I think one of the reasons I love this movie is it blends three different things that I enjoy just in general as a movie fan. One, the post-college movie, as you know, kicking and screaming, one of my all-time favorites, which we've already done in the rewatchables.

But that I've graduated, oh, I thought I was going to do this. Wait, I'm not doing that. Oh, my God, what's going on with my life? So you get that. There's a virgin movie DNA to this going back to the 80s, and specifically last time. American Virgin, which is just an absolute freak show of a movie that I think everybody from the 80s is seen. But somebody who falls in love with somebody else, turns out she's also having an affair with their friends. So you have that whole thing. And then you also have with Matola,

he hits it big with Superbad, which opens the door for the, this is the movie I've actually always wanted to do movie. And, and, you know, it's a little bit of a zag from Superbad, but this is based on a lot of his experience. So it's a very personal movie. And you add all that stuff together with the cast, and this is aged just really nicely. It's so good. I also would just say a fourth thing is, like,

the sanctity of summer. I feel like that's a real East Coast thing where people just love to hold on to those, like, 10 weeks and milk them for all that you can. And I feel like the arc of that is also really good for a coming-of-age story like this, especially your first summer after college. But it's really amazing.

I mean, everyone is so funny in it. And it also has the Judd-Apato DNA because he directed a lot of episodes of Undeclared. And, yeah, it's a, it's a great, it's just a great movie. It is so rewatchable. Like, everything about it is the definition of you tune in when you can. You're happy to catch the whole thing. But if you only catch a scene, it's great.

It fits the bill perfectly. I like your summer point because summer gives movies like this a natural beginning, middle, and end, right? It's like, oh, summer, what am I going to do? boom, you go. You know, most famously in a key season of 90210.0. Of course. They graduate junior year, and then it's like, what are we going to do?

Brendan and Donna go to France. No, but the summer thing, you always know that you're headed towards some sort of ending in the back of your head and that, you know, things are going to get lit. I think in this case, one of the things I think that I've found this movie is so rewatchable. And I liked it the first time. I didn't love it. I thought it was so depressing kind of the last half hour

where he's just kind of outside her house. She's with Ryan Reynolds. They have that fight in the street. They kind of end up together. But over and over again watching, I think one of the things I like when somebody doesn't really know what they're going to do with their life,

and then they get thrown with all these other people who kind of don't know either. And they just immediately become your best friends. And it's like, who has weed? Where are we going tonight? Let's go hang out in a car. And you just got a fresh start with this whole new group of people that you didn't know five minutes ago.

And I think that, this movie captures that too. Definitely. And it's such a summer thing because like, it's like a break from what else is happening. It's like your real life happens from September to June. And then in July and August, you have like your summer friends or your, you know, like that one summer at the beach. Like Greece picks up like right where that point ends. And it's like a, it's a pretty universal phenomenon.

And there's that one scene, which is like right at the end of like first hour of the movie where they're after Martin Star gets beat up, like all the people, like everyone who works together is like standing in like an informal circle smoking weed. And that is also like so true to life. Like people who are just kind of like milling around ending up in like a misformed circle and trying to figure out like who's the leader. It just feels so real. A whole bunch of people who would probably never hang out together, even one on one under any of the circumstances. None of them individually. I guess maybe the Martin Star character in Eisenberg, they might hang?

Maybe. Maybe. I don't know. Just nobody has anything in common. Yeah. The thing that really differentiates Jesse Eisenberg's character, James Brennan, is all the books he ostentatiously reads, which is like so funny. And the weed is the equalizer for all of them.

He brings him into the group, and he provides for all. There's a late 80s piece to this, too. Obviously, it's going backwards. It's set in Pittsburgh, 1987, which was, you know, I was a little younger than these characters but around the same age. But there was something about the late 80s where there's not even close to any internet yet. Everybody has the same kind of pop culture experiences. But really, there's a lot of killing time. And there's a lot of like, oh, somebody's parents are away. Let's go hang out in their basement for eight hours. And you know, you're just kind of moving on to the next semi-boring thing,

which I think this movie captures too. It's like, oh, the museum park closes. Let's just keep, let's continue to hang out in the parking lot. Like, do people? people even do that anymore? I don't know. Aren't there a better option in 2023 to be like, oh, let's hang out in a parking lot for two and a half more hours. I feel like you'd go somewhere. You'd be like, I'm going to go home.

I'm going to go on my weird message board that I go on. I'm going to just be on my phone reading TikTok or watching TikTok. Weed is legal in so many places that you don't need like a shrouded parking lot to smoke weed. Like you could just do it wherever. So they're probably more willing to leave and just go to like a different place that's outside. Yeah, that's a good point.

The secret nature of weed back then was such a fun wrinkle. Like, how do you get it? Who has it? Oh, my God. We got to go hide over it. Now it's just you can freaking stand on the street and spoke. Totally different thing. Let's talk about some of the actors here.

So Eisenberg, this is after Squid and the Whale, but before Social Network. Right. And Social Network starts with him getting dumped by his girlfriend. This movie starts with him basically getting dumped by his girlfriend. He looks a lot like Zuckerberg in Social Network. social networks two years later. But it does feel like almost like a rehearsal

for social network in some ways, the character he's playing and the way he looks, the outfits he's wearing. I don't know. Did you catch that too? Or is that just me? No, definitely.

He had just an unbelievable run in 2009, 2010. And I also thought that you mentioned kicking and screaming, it feels very much like a continuation of his squid and the whale character. and there's definitely a lot of like no bomb back vibes in this. But he starts to like physically transform into that Mark Zuckerberg character.

This guy is way less kind. Like I mean, Mark Zuckerberg is way less kind. This guy is way more attuned to feelings but also really bad at dealing with them. But it sort of, we'll get to this too, but I was just thinking about like who else could have played this role? And I just like, I don't even know. Like he's kind of so perfect for it. I have no alternative. I mean, let's be honest, it's on the Michael Sarah corner,

but I don't know if that would have been a good choice for this. Because I think the guy has to, I don't know, he's a tiny bit agro, which I'm not sure Michael Sarah has. And you could have put him Jonah Hill in this too, but at this point, Jonah Hill was still like the slapstick sidekick guy, and I don't know if he could have been in this. They don't have the pretentiousness.

They don't have the, like, I went to Oberlin and I'm going to tell you about the philosophy that I study, which I find so funny in like the first 20 minutes of the movie, all of the ways they're spewering going to a small liberal arts college and thinking you know everything and then realizing you actually know nothing. Yeah. That works really well. And I think Jonah Hill definitely couldn't do that.

And Michael Sarah is like a different kind of indie. And I wouldn't buy the pretentiousness from him in the same way, partially because of his arrested development character. Yeah, Heisenberg always plays variations of this character, which makes me wonder if he's like this in real, life. It's like a little bit full of shit and pretentious, but you kind of like him, but he's kind of a dick, but you're rooting for him, but you're not totally sure why. And then it peaks in Fleischman in trouble, which, um, where he just openly plays a fucking asshole in that.

Yeah. I don't think Jesse Eisenberg is an asshole. He's not, it doesn't seem like he is. No, I don't think so. Although Dakota Johnson, like, last year, like, had a whole press tour on how he ignored her on the set of the social network, but Andrew Garfield didn't. I just think he's, like, very serious. Like, I just think that he takes his work and, like, the things he's interested in really seriously. So I don't think he's a dick, but he does, he's able to play pretentious

in a way that many actors cannot. So I don't know what that says about him. A lot of people don't know you're one of the hosts of Jewish stuff on the Ringo Podcast Network. Where does he, where does Eisenberg rank in the Jewish stuff male lead rankings for you? Very high. Very high. I mean, I don't think there's an heir to the throne.

and if you just look at the roles he's played, if you mention Fleischman, we mentioned Squid and the Whale, this, Zuckerberg, I mean, it's really a complete package of Jewish male kind of annoying characters. There's a little bit of an air

to the Woody Allen thrown with him, even though they're completely different. I think Woody Allen was trying to do something different, but for years and years and years, I think Woody Allen was the go-to in everybody's mind of that type of character that, super intelligent kind of a little too self-absorbed a little too self-aware like kind of cracking the one-liners and and it was just Woody Allen for what 25 years and then he became he aged out of the

role and wouldn't give it up totally started being in movies with younger actresses which I think we could um we don't need to unpack here now uh and now Eisenberg's like I don't know he's got to be close to 40 at this point who is who's the heir to the throne now I don't know I've been racking my brain for the last few hours, honestly. The other thing about him in this movie is his physical comedy is actually really good. Like, he just plays all, he plays it really well. And he's, like, moving behind the desk, like, and, like, the games or whatever. It's very funny and very particular, which also kind of reminds me of Woody Allen,

the way that he would move in, like, Annie Hall or whatever. And he's just, he's just very good. He's not, I don't like him because you're not completely supposed to, but he's really convincing, which I guess is acting. I think this is his best. movie, like, where he feels the most like Jesse Eisenberg. And Social Network, he's a little bit of a sociopath. But I really like him.

The Squid and the Whale, he's great. He had a really nice run here. Kristen Stewart, she did four Twilight movies from 2008 to 2012, which I forgot. And I was there for it because my daughter was the Twilight Audits. No, I just forgot there was four. I just heard in my head, I would have said two or three. I don't remember the fourth one. They split the third book in.

into two. I mean, the 2010s were Hunger Games and Twilight. Like those were the, that was like

pre-Marvel takeover. I mean, that was happening. But like, those two franchises were so huge. And this was,

um, after the first Twilight but before the second. So Kristen Stewart was like, she had broken onto the scene. She was unknown at the time. Um, and now she's like suddenly

really famous and does, would you call this an indie movie? I would. Yeah, even though it had a lot of big people in it. And it had a really, And it had a really hot director. I mean, it had a $5 million budget.

So I would say that qualifies. We knew her dating back. She was a child actress. She was in panic room and she was really good in panic room with Jody Foster. I forgot about that. Did we do that movie on the rewatchables? I feel like we did. God, we've done like 280 at this point.

We did it. Yeah, we did it. Thanks, Craig. And then, you know, she kind of moves into, I'm looking at the IMDB. a bunch of movies I don't remember until we get to Into the Wild and then she gets picked for Twilight coming off Jumper

which I don't think really did that well and this was her first movie after Twilight but somewhere between 2008 2009 she became a massive star and they were filming this movie I think before Twilight came out I think yeah they filmed it in 2007 so she does this

she does another Twilight movie and then the runaways which I like she plays Joan Jett in the runaways I think that movie is pretty good. But it just becomes so famous at this point. And she's like an A-plus-plus lister. Where does the Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, celebrity relationship end of the 2000s during the last vestige of like the Robertson Boulevard, Paris Hilton, the Us Weekly.

This feels like one of the last Us Weekly relationships where they were just on the cover every week. And it kind of bums me out because I think she was an awesome actress. And it's almost like she flew too close to the sun. on there for a little bit. Well, I think she's also just evolved so much. I mean, she became famous at the same time to start dating Robert Pattinson. And then she, they broke up because she was caught in paparazzi photos making out with Matthew Vaughn. And, you know, which is like, one of one of the last like paparazzi scandals like that in a long time. I mean, I can't remember one quite as big. I feel like we knew each other during that. Yeah, I think it was 2013. So yeah, we were at Grandland. Um,

And, you know, I think she's, she's been able to evolve a lot since then. I think she was a classic example of, like, being in this huge franchise, really, like, limited who she could be in public in a way, especially with people being so invested in her and Robert Pattinson. And, you know, now she's basically like, kind of like a haute couture model. Like, she's sponsored by Chanel. She wears Chanel on every red carpet. You know, she's one of, like, the probably highest profile openly queer actresses. in Hollywood. And she's like evolved so much.

Watching her as M. Lewin feels like watching her as a kid. And it was a long time ago, but she's come a really long way. She's legitimately really good actress. I'm glad for her that she got out of the Twilight Zone. Yeah, you look at her last 10 years and it's just not good enough for the choices she made versus how good of an actress she was. Like she was in Stella Alice in 2014. She was in Spencer.

She played Princess Diana movie that I've virulently hated. hated, but I think she got nominated for her. But just in general, like you see her in this movie, she's so fucking likable. She's such a good actress. I would say this movie uses all the pieces of her and the best way of any movie I've seen with her. Wouldn't you agree? Yeah, definitely. I also think the way that she's very, very pretty, and I think that she's, like, allowed to just look like herself. And that's really cool to see. And she's, like, fun in a way that I think she often didn't get to be in many movies. It's fun, but a basket game. but that's being a teenage girl.

Yeah, I know. I almost wish she didn't get Twilight. I would have loved to have seen her career with just, you just removed the Twilight out of it because I think she could have grabbed a corner that Jennifer Lawrence grabbed for a couple years and then Bree Larson grabbed for a couple years. But I think she would have been the first choice

for a lot of those parts. And she got locked up. And Jennifer Lawrence, same thing. All of a sudden, she's in that Hunger Games world for like two, three years and comes out of it and makes a couple interesting movies, but for the most part, I don't know,

I don't love her IMDB choices either. No. Those franchises are tough because they really, they give you so much fame, you get money from them, you're stuck doing multiple movies of them, and you kind of,

you can't do what basically like what Leo did in the first seven years of the 90s where he's just like taking movies, taking chances, trying things, you know? Yeah, it's like Hollywood Golden Handcuffs. It's an amazing problem to have in terms of, you know, like financial security,

and getting work, but you can't really take any creative risks. And I think also both Jennifer Lawrence and Kristen Stewart, just in terms of their public persona and the way they manage their PR,

they both were in really high profile relationships with co-stars with Robert Pattinson and then Nicholas Holt for Jennifer Lawrence. And I think that also, like, it traps you in a way because, like,

the public person that you are, people are so invested in your relationship and they feel like they have some kind of, like, connection to it because they've seen you on screen together. It's kind of like, it's unfair. And I was supposed to say I'm definitely part of the problem, not the solution on that.

But it's true. I think it's particularly hard for young women who are trying to be creative. This is such a good role. I mean, all the good young actresses from the last 15 years or so have had really good roles like this. You know, like a spectacular now, Shailene Woodley is just awesome in that movie. Definitely. Jennifer Lawrence has had a couple that used good parts of her, but I still don't feel like she had her. Has she had her version of an adventure land?

Maybe it's going to be this movie that comes out this summer, even though she's older now. It's like kind of Silver Linings Playbook, but that movie was so big. But she got to be like a little... Yeah, you're right. It was, yeah, that's a good call. You're right.

Yeah. And I think, like, the other person I was thinking a lot about Sersher Ronan, I feel like she got that with Lady Bird, which, like, then she'll get to do some other bigger stuff. And, like, little women was pretty big. Bree Larson with Train wreck. I thought used...

I thought she stole the movie in a lot of ways. You know, It was just caught her at a nice time. She's getting spectacular now, too. But I like when people like that are just in normal movies where they get to... Yeah. They don't have to have a superpower. They don't have to be around a vampire.

Like, they can just be a human. They don't have to be trapped in a room with their son as a captive. And then you have Ryan Reynolds who got a lot of chances in the 2000s. And they kept trying to make it happen, really for the whole decade. And then in 2009, he had adventure. your land in the proposal with Sandra Bullock. Where do you stand in the proposal? Love. Sandra Bullock is fantastic in it. I like it more as a Sandra Bullock vehicle than a Ryan Reynolds

vehicle, but I do think it's quite a good movie. And just a great Alaska movie. I wrote a piece from him for Grantland, our first year, about the concept of a movie star. And we'd hit this point with Hollywood where Hollywood would just pick people that. they liked and they would just try to get them going and tell us they were stars without having the kind of the library yet or the or the goods he was a really good example of that everybody really liked him everybody who made movies with them really liked him and it just couldn't happen and it wasn't happening wasn't happening ironically i think probably like five six years after i wrote that piece that's when Deadpool yeah and he hits and now i think he's like an a plus lister he just

sold Mint Mobile for like 1.3 billion. Like he was pretty much a late bloomer. In this movie, you know, he's, it's not a major part, but it was a really smart choice by him. It was one of the few smart choices. I think he made this decade. Yeah. I, um, I like never believe in Ryan Reynolds as like a hot movie star.

Like it's just, that's not how I think of him. And so like the last 10 years of him have been very surprising. And then did you watch, um, welcome to Rexum or this is Rexum, the show with, uh, I was like, this is such a career actor. He was really being his pure self in that movie and that TV show about his soccer team and with Rob McElheny. And I was like, this is the Ryan Reynolds that I recognize from Adventureland. And I think that he should, he's actually like way better to me in the smaller roles,

even though he really became a star because of the bigger ones. The Simmons family likes him in Amityville Horror, which is a terrible movie and was a remake, but it's still kind of fun. He's a wild career. I mean, from National Lampoon, to where he is now, it's just crazy. He had a lot of swings. There was a lot of movies where there was like Ryan Reynolds is on the poster and it just didn't make it. And then all of a sudden it flipped.

$9.8 million budget for this movie made $17.2 million. So I was wrong. It was twice as much as I said the budget. Roger Ebert, three stars. It was beloved. He said, what surprised me was how much I admired Kristen Stewart, who's in Twilight and was playing below her grade level. Here's an actress way to do important things. Together and with the others, her and Eisenberg make adventure land more real and more touching than it may sound. I wasn't surprised

that Raj gave this three stars. He likes story. He likes character stuff. It's quirky enough. And we didn't mention Bill Hader and Kristen Wigg, who they grabbed for four days from S&L and filmed all their scenes cramped together in four days. And this was the same year for Bill Hader that he, he broke the Stefan character. He really started a hit on SNL, and Kristen Wing was probably already the biggest star on the show. And they just kind of zip through this. He worked with Metola on Superbad.

But this is like the perfect way to use Bill Hader in a movie. It's just like, play a crazy character, throw a mustache on you. Let's go. They're so good. I absolutely love their scenes. They're absolutely hilarious. And they bring like almost like a different type of comedy to the movie. So they like they break it up really nice.

too. I think it would be kind of a little monotonous without them. Another reason I'm not surprised Roger Ebert liked it. It's a very tidy movie. It's like 100 and it's like 100 minutes long or whatever. And it's like each act is like 35 minutes. And there's like a clean, there's like a clean cut in between each one.

You can tell. It's just hasn't a lot of like classic cinema aspects to it. Yeah. Also, there's a timelessness to it. These movies when they're set in a certain age, they just don't age. Yeah. Right?

We're just at 1987, that's it. And it's just where we're going to be for the next 40 years of this movie. All right, we're going to take a play. And we're going to do most rewatchable scenes. The playoffs are here. And you can predict the action all the way to the finals with Fandul Predicts. Follow all the playoff dishes, swishes, wishes, wishes, and misses. Predict the spread, the total points, and even the game winner.

Sign up for Fandual Predicts and predict it from the couch. Offered by Fandual Prediction Markets, LLC. a registered futures commission merchant. 18 plus. Trading derivatives involve significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Manage your activity with our consumer protection tools. This episode is brought to by Pure Michigan.

In Grand Rapids, every moment feels like a scene worth replaying. Every riverside stroll, every slow afternoon sipping small batch brews, every guitar riff drifting out of the city's brand new amphitheater. This is a place where everything feels cinematic. Like you've stepped into a highlight reel that's yours to explore. ranked as the number one city on the rise from LinkedIn, Grand Rapids invites you to find a rhythm all your own, season after season in Pure Michigan. Find your season at experience gr.com. All right, most rewatchable scenes. This was an interesting exercise because I think the whole point

of this movie is it doesn't have the traditional setup, set up, set up, big scenes, set up, set up, set up big scene. You kind of hang out with the movie, which I think is one of the reasons. it's so rewatchable. With that said, a couple choices. James' first day, where we learn no one ever wins a giant-ass panda. If one of the rings lands on one of the red bottles, they win a giant-ass panda.

That is a giant-ass panda. Yeah, it's the best prize in the part. And that's because this game is unwinnable. Observe. I'll drop a ring from three inches away. So nobody ever wins? If someone wins a giant-ass panda on your watch, You should just go home because you're fired, okay?

For the object of the game, it's knock the hat off the dummy with a softball, except, as you'll see, half the hats are glued on. Really? Yeah. I mean, we pay little Malaysian kids 10 cents a day to make these toys.

We can't just give them away. You get a five-minute bathroom break every two hours. We find out we have the flying Dutchman sign. We have the doctored basketball hoops and the hat stuck on the people you're supposed to knock the hats off and the people announced in the horse races and we're just, it's just getting weird

and we're going behind the scenes with these weird carnivals that we've all been to and we've all wondered what the fuck goes on in these things and then we're seeing it for real. Like, oh yeah, you can't win, you can't win the throat on the ring,

throw the ring on the bowling pins or whatever that thing is. This is all rigged against the people. It's great. It's like a loss of innocence immediately. The movie hasn't even started yet. And Martin stars, very, very good tour guide. He's like,

knows all the ins and the outs, but he's completely unfazed, completely jaded by it. And he sets the tone of like, what are the people like at the at an adventure land? And they're very weird. And just like him. I enjoy spending times with Martin Starr's character, though, Joel.

We should have talked about him at the top. Really nice Martin Star run. Because he's, you know, he's part of their whole freaks and geeks universe, but also crucial and party down. Which I think it's a show that everyone felt was underrated as it was happening, but it almost became annoying because people were like beating each other over the head with this show so underrated. But now it actually is underrated.

Yeah, I agree. Hey, Craig, where do you stand on Party Down? I love Party Down. I think it's fantastic. We were rewatching season one. The Porn Award episode, I think is one of the funniest half hours of TV probably of the last 15 years. But he's a, he's big part of this. He kind of plays the same guy in every movie, I guess, is, you know, the problem with Martin Star,

but at the same time, that's the pleasure of Martin Star. You kind of, you see him and you're like, oh, I know what I'm getting. What do you think he's most famous for now? Like, is it Silicon Valley? I think that may have taken him to a different level. I think it's Silicon Valley. For me, it'll always be Joel from Adventureland. I also, I like when actors I don't like play characters I'm not supposed to like.

So I really enjoy Adam Scott and Party Down because you don't. have to like him. And I'm just like, great. No one's forcing him on me, but he's really funny. So it all works in that TV show. Right. But yeah, I mean, Martin Starr is just like, if he weren't so famous in Silicon Valley didn't happen, he probably would be that guy. Because he's just in so much stuff. The new party down doesn't have Lizzie Capon, the season three, which is brutal because, as you know, we love Lizzie Kaplan on all the ringer pods, but she's just one of the greats. And would have been, somebody who would have been really good in this movie.

But they did a really fun gimmick where she actually made it. She became a huge success. Oh, that's smart. And everybody else. Yeah. In the first episode, they're seeing her. She's on like entertainment tonight.

She's dating her new co-star and they're all kind of like working at a catering thing still. It's pretty funny. That's really funny. More rewatchable scenes. M has a party. this is where we get the boner. I've never not laughed hard

at any boner joke ever in the history of movies. Boner jokes are always hilarious at all times. Okay. I'll meet you inside. Brennan's got a bono. And this movie runs it back later on

when they're hooking up at EBS house. And it's still funny. It's just very funny. Boner jokes win just 100% of the time. I really liked her house. Yeah, it was nice. Nice pool. It was like a cool.

It was like a kind of a fixed. up 70s house that was looked like in 1987's high. I was just a good one. But as you know, stepmom energy really well. Like, oh, the stepmom came in and she tried to transition it from like late 70s to late 80s. Like she was like, I'm making my mark. And it played really well. There's a lot of subtlety to this movie that like I was saying to Craig, you really have to watch to pick up on. Agree. I love all party scenes. I don't think there's ever been a party scene in a movie that didn't work. And your beloved can't hardly wait. It's just the whole scene. It's just the party gone wrong. James has a drink with M, which is the scene where the guy's singing hot-blooded.

I fucking love that guy. That's another thing that's always going to get me, like the cheesy nightclub or the cheesy hotel lounge where there's some singer like that. What was the movie, the Hangover. That was when the Dan band. They were just absolutely crushing that. It's always going to work. I love it right as their band's about to leave, somebody's doing a guitar solo

and the hot potter guy's like, that's my nephew. I just love that whole scene. James goes on a date with Lisa P. I'm adding this one just because I think it's funny when his annoying high school friend crashes the date. Yeah, that guy's hilarious.

You son of a bitch, it's Lisa Pee. What the fuck are you doing here? I'm sorry. Look, I'm sorry. I thought you were full of shit, but holy shit. There she is. You didn't get me naked pictures of her? Frigo, get the fuck out of here, and you can't tell anybody about this.

All right, all right. Relax. Brennan? What's the word to you? You're shaking me down. Yeah, yeah. I hate you. Such great fervor.

This is probably my choice. I just have this written down as pot cookies, bumper cars, and the cure. Hater does horse rating. James gets in a fight. Hate her with the bat. People are trying to kill me. Boy, motherfucker. Give me reason.

Just give me a fucking reason. That whole like five minutes sequence, the movie goes off the rails. You took it up. You've been drinking drugs. You've been drinking drugs. They really let Hater cook of that one. I also love bumper cars scenes. That's another one where you're always going to get me.

Bumper cars. Who doesn't love bumper cars? Probably terrible for your back. Terrible for your back. Not good for your knees. Could get whiplash. But look. great on camera. So much fun. And also the movie, all the retired bumper cars, like, I love that too.

They just have it everywhere. We also have James stands up for himself. It was fun when the kind of mealy-mouthed character who starts to grow on as we had the thing going on. Next one, James and Joel hanging out in the hill with the Melville story. Like, why bother? They're just going to forget our names anyway. What's the point of being a writer and artist anyway? Herman Melville wrote fucking Moby Dick and he was so poor and forgotten by the time he died that in his obituary they called him Henry Melville

you know like why bother they're just going to forget our fucking names anyway Not untrue Depressing but not untrue Yeah Craig Craig 80 years from now nobody's going to know you hosted the ringer fantasy show Yes they will He was Matt Bellany's sidekick No, it is true, though.

It is a good way to think about things when you get stressed out about stuff. Yeah. I like that Joel could hang. I feel like usually they try to make James, like, the literary one, but Joel showing that he actually, you know, he can be in the conversations, a big win for Joel. The final rain scene, too, which is not a most rewatchable, but I think we have to mention it just because it actually is pretty important

and some of the stuff they say, I think I see you differently than you see me. Kind of like that. You can't just avoid everyone you screw up with. Not untrue. It was good. I think you're just leaving out one option. Let's hear it.

What is it? The first scene at Rasmataz, when Lisa P is finally back, and they're all there. And it starts with Lisa P and her friend dancing. It's just a great ensemble scene. And in general, I love Lisa P.

So it just got to recognize her. I also love Lisa P. So what do you have for most rewatchable? I think I have the pot cookies all the way through Hater with the bet. For me, it's the tour of Adventureland. Just spending time with Joel, setting the scene,

getting to know all the crazy people. I love it. And also the breaking the laws of perspective with the basketball hoop. James being so upset was very funny. Craig, what do you have for most rewatchable? I don't typically, like when I'm alone, I don't know this is weird.

I don't laugh out loud a lot when I'm watching comedies even if I think they're really funny. And I laughed out loud at the Hater bet. scene. Haders really going for it. I have that one as well. What's age the best? The music is phenomenal in this movie.

They have 41 songs. They really dip into the late 80s. And a lot of the music that I was listening to back then that was becoming like the early college radio stuff crossed with, you know, I got to be honest, a little too much Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, not a huge fan, but Mottolla, that was like his guy. But some of the ones they hit, that Replacements, Bastards of the Young, that's what starts the movie.

Dave Bowie's Modern Love. They picked a really good Rolling Stone song, Tops, which was from the Start Me Up album that I think is a very underrated stone song. Husker Do, don't want to know if you're lonely. That was in the car, which Husker Do was like a very early college radio. Crowded House, Don't Dream It's Over, which has been in a bunch of different movies, TV shows.

Always Hits. The Cure Just Like Heaven. and then it ends with In excess don't change, which I appreciate it because In excess was the lost great 80s band ended tragically because of how Michael Hutchins died and then I don't know, I don't feel like they have the same steam

that they used to, but anyway, the music, unbelievable job by them. Did you like it? You're a different generation than me. I did. It really worked for me. I like the Velvet Underground, so I was happy to hear it over and over again.

I was also wondering if that was like a licensing thing. Like, did they get a certain amount of pale blue wise that they could just play over and over because it was quite a bit. But also the Amadeus thing, like how that was like just like the song they played every day at the park was really funny to me. I enjoyed all of it.

I love that. I had that as the next one. The Rock me Amadeus, the song from hell. Just a perfect choice. I love when songs get licensed as, hey, we're going to play this song over and over again. And the joke's going to be that all the characters will hate it. And it's great.

How much should we get paid? It's all they could afford. Hater's mustache is age the best. Nothing better than a realistic, ridiculous mustache from a different era. It's always great. He's had some good mustaches over the years, too. The punch in the balls gimmick, really funny. This was a big late 80s, early 90s was a big guys just punch each other in the balls.

We used to do it all the time in college. I like one time he gets punched the balls, like, what the hell was that? He's like, it's just my life. Corn dogs? Did this movie want to make you have a corn dog by the end of the movie? Well, I really love corn dog, so it's not hard. And yes, I definitely did. Although seeing the boxes, like the final corn dog moment,

you see all of them being loaded in, I was like, that's a little bit gross. But yes, I definitely did want to have a corn dog. What about you? Corn dog's one of those things. I never want to have a whole one, but I always want to bite. Yeah.

That's why the mini ones are the best. Yeah, the yellow mustard on them. Lisa P. I love this actress. Me too. And I don't, there's certain actors and actresses when I don't understand why they didn't totally make it. Probably the most famous thing she's been in was the Deuce. Definitely the most famous, yeah.

Which I thought she was fantastic in. And I have some information about her later. Her name is, I'm blanking on the name. Margarita Levievna. Yeah, I had it written down. Yeah, she's from Russia. I have some good info about her later. I thought she was great in this.

I also like two other things with Lisa P. One is that the name Lisa P is just funny. Because there are these people where you have, there was obviously two Lases at some point, but now Lisa R is gone or Lisa B, and now just Lisa P's left, but they still call her Lisa P. And then the whole concept,

of somebody like this before social media, where you just have the girl that everybody has a crush on. But now it would just be somebody who was on Instagram and kind of owning it and milking it and taking pictures of herself every day. And this was like kind of the organic way. There was like, oh, that cute girl at the park who she dances in front of the ride and that's it. Everybody likes her. And it's simple as that. She does it without the cameras. She does it without the cameras. Like she's just ready to roll, ready to show you her moves. And also the excitement when she comes in. Like, Lisa Peas back. Lisa Peas back. We can all feel it.

That was another one of my What's Age the Best. The slow motion entrances of a hot girl or a hot guy is just a staple of these movies for things slowed down. I love that. Craig,

if you ever direct a movie, make sure you have a slow motion entrance. The boner you've got a boner fucking kills me. It's just laugh out loud, funny. It's always going to be hilarious. Mix tapes? I think it's age the best.

What do you do now? Like make a Spotify playlist? That's just not as fun as seeing the written songs on a mixtape. Also, it's like way easier. It was hard to make a mixtape. So it took a lot of effort. People had to like really think about it, have a dual tape deck, right? Like that, who had that?

There's a hard thing to do. There was a lot of thought put into what's the first song? What's the last song on the first side of the album? How are you starting the second song? How are you stacking stuff? What are you trying to say? Mix tapes. Yeah, then you couldn't change it around.

Like your completely. That was it. That was it. That was it. I liked that. You mentioned how not only was there some serious stepmom energy with her, but just, she's kind of a villain, but not really, not her fault. But I just like how they used her.

Martin Starr. I thought he was the slide when, that girl says she can't fall through with him because he's Jewish. He's Jewish. and who's Kristen Stewart's really upset about it is like it's okay worst things have happened in the Jews

it's such a good throwaway line and then she gets bad and defensive Emma the stepmom's haircut forgot to mention just

classic late 80s yeah late 80s that haircut was gone and has never been seen again since like 1988 what else do you have for what stage is the best

the skewering of 22 year olds who went to liberal arts colleges, all of those jokes just were so funny to me. And they really played. I also, I really liked Em asking why he needed to go to journalism school if he wanted to be a travel writer like Dickens. And that was so funny, very relevant. Still a great question. Maybe just start writing people. Really enjoyed that. Just the real like making fun of Oberlin, I thought was hilarious. It's one of my favorite things of the movie.

But you listed a lot of really good ones. Everything having to do with, like, the Catholic versus Jewish was pretty funny. Yeah. I forgot to, we mentioned at the top, but just a carnival as a scene for, as a location for a movie. I went, I was like, is this one of the best carnival movies? Where does it rank? There's just not a lot of movies set at carnivals.

There's movies that have been in there, like, they'll pass through them. Like, Big has carnival scenes, but it's not a carnival movie. but in general nobody's really done this that much. Action Park Johnny Knoxville made, I guess. Yeah, I was thinking about the way, way back, which is a water park, kind of similar, but again, it's a water park. The Kid Cuddy Pursuit of Happiness Award for Best Needle Drop.

I really like how they use Husker Do in this movie, and I really like how they use that Rolling Stone song. But Rock Me Hamadias kicking in right after James finds out that M quit. It's just perfect. It's like the 19th time we've heard the song, but it's like the funniest. It's really good. He's the married one.

Yeah, M's a freaking homewrecker. He's cheating on his wife. I can't believe you're defending her. What? Because guys can be shitty and women can't. Whoa. He's like trapped in hell. And in hell, Rocky Amadeus plays every 10 minutes.

And it's been happening to him for the whole summer. It's so funny. The Big Kahuna Burger Award, best use of food and drink. The Corn Dog. The corn dog, drawing it as Joel. That was great. The crowded house fireworks scene when there's some fireworks with them and then it cuts to Martin Star just kind of eating a falak of corn dog.

The corn dog is just over and over again, a great character in this. Den and Thieves, Benihana Award's scene stealing location. I really liked Em's house. I like that. It'd remind me a little like the Anchorman House crosses like a Boogie Knight's house or something. Yeah. Great Shot Order Award. most cinematic shot.

Probably the hill. I think it's when Lisa P. and James get high together sitting in the retired cars of like whatever ride that was. It's like the red and yellow in the foreground and then like the very gray Pittsburgh in the background. It looks really nice and it's like it gives Lisa P. the gravity she deserves. I like it. Good call. What do you have for the Butch's Girlfriend Award Weeklink of the film? You know, I think even though it was fun.

the Catholic girl, I think that's just sort of like, we don't really need her. And like in general, that's sort of like a, there was other ways to feel bad for Martin Star and other ways to like really feel for Joel. And I just didn't think that was particularly

additive to this movie. What did you think? It was funny on the one hand because it led to his line that I thought was hilarious. On the other hand, I just don't think Catholic versus Jewish was a big deal in 1987. Yeah, I don't either.

This was 1957. I could see it. but in 1987, I didn't see it. I had, I really liked the Ryan Reynolds character for the whole point of the character, which is, this guy seems like he's cool and he has this shit together,

but actually he's a fucking loser. Don't be like this guy. With that said, I wanted like a little more wisdom for him. Like he has a couple moments with Eisenberg where, um, I don't know,

I don't know. They set it up where Eisenberg's character looks up to this guy and he's looking for him for advice and stuff. But the advice wasn't that good? No, not at all. I don't know. It just seemed like he was a little bit on autopilot the character. I thought for me, like, I like Ryan Reynolds.

I didn't love the character. I wanted more from it. Yeah, he didn't, you don't really understand why M liked him except for the fact that he was older. And it seemed like his bullshit was like, yes, of course, and good looking. But I think when you're like a 19. or 20-year-old girl, older goes a really long way. Like, you could be 35 and, like, medium, but, like, the fact of the 35-year-old interested

in you, like, has to be meaningful in some way. So I feel like the age was a big piece of it. But it's true. Like, he didn't, there was not a lot of charm to him. Yeah. Just more charming, better advice. I need something. And I didn't feel like it totally got there.

What's age the worst? I mentioned a little too much Lou Reed for my liking. Apparently in the early versions of the script, Neil Young was the musician. And I don't know whether they couldn't clear the whites or whatever and they eventually moved it to Lou Reed. Would you have liked that more? No, it's about the same.

I wasn't a huge Neil Young guy either. The Scarlet V has aged the worst, not because it's like offensive. It's just like I think that was something that was there in the late 80s and kind of died. But that was a thing we said in the late 80s, but I don't know if you're like, I don't know if Craig would have known that.

But the Scarlet V was like a thing people said, and then it just kind of went away. I thought it was from the movie. I've never heard that before. So even I didn't know it. And I'm older than Craig. Yeah. Yeah.

Oh, I had Joel being rejected for being Jewish and what stage is the worst. So we agreed on that one. And then the Jack Black Ripoff guy, and I didn't feel like they landed the plane on that character. That was like, if it had been five years earlier, the guy who was like when he was talking to M

and he was doing like the crazy music. Yeah, I didn't feel like they landed the point on that, dude. Any other Woodstage the Worse? I think using the F word and the R word for humor, you just don't do that anymore. People acknowledge that those words are out. Do you don't agree? Well, I just...

Who brought the party pooper? It's conspicuous in the movie. It has to be addressed. What do you have for the Ramburger? The Flute Award for Best Time for P-break? I love Lisa P. However, their date, their formal date, totally just go to the bathroom during that. Make it back for when he goes outside to talk to Frigo, but when they're like entering

the restaurant and sitting down, ordering, she smells her wine glass. I don't need it. You just eject that scene. Amazing call. I really like the Frito part, but the other part, you're right. Was there a better title for this? movie no. No. Definitely not. Best quote I'm going with, quit worrying, Brennan. That's what the weed is for. I think that's a good senior yearbook quote. I would highly recommend it if anyone's

figuring out of a senior year book thing right now. That is a really good one. The SAS hottest take award. I wanted more from Greg Matola. Interesting. Like, just in general, after this movie? Yeah. Yeah, I think Greg Matola wanted more as well. I was reading a bunch of interviews with him. And he's, I think, like, really thought he was, like, going to have a huge career, both before and after Super Bad. He got this movie made. And there hasn't been a ton since. And I don't know why. Like everything he does. I do too. And the stuff before the, some of the research from before the movie, where he does day tripers in 96, which people liked, then he was trying to get a couple other movies done that didn't get done. He does undeclared. He directs,

direct some arrested development and kind of becomes a TV director but is really well respected by it in the community community it somehow leads to super bad because Apatower members him from undeclared and in Ventureland

then he does Paul and I remember I had a I'd hate her on my podcast initially probably 09 10 range and he was so excited for Paul and he was like Greg Mottole he's a genius all that stuff and he hasn't worked as much

as you would think he would work in the 2010. He did clear history. He did the newsroom. He did four episodes of directing that. I think he was an EP for most of the show. He directed a couple episodes of Dave. But then he came back in 2022

with Confess Fletch, which I really liked. He's got a great hit rate. Yeah, just can we fit four more movies in there, Greg Batola? He basically, he's made one. I'm just talking about big screen movie. I'll count clear history. One, two, three, four, five in the last 16 years? Yeah, I know.

I really thought he would have gotten many more opportunities after this movie, too. Because it just like hits on a number of levels. And even if it wasn't huge dollars-wise, it was like beloved when it came out. Like critics really liked it. You can tell his actors really like him. I just was surprised it didn't turn into, it didn't materialize into more. Disappointing. I have a hot take.

Can I give you a hot take? Yeah. Ryan Reynolds should really only play losers. This is probably my favorite Ryan Reynolds role. Just be the hot loser and live in that space, dude. The proposal's not entirely different. He's also kind of a loser in that, but it's like a different frequency.

But I really prefer him playing like kind of odious characters than someone you're supposed to root for. It's a lot more fun to root against him. Amity of a horror. Great example of that. casting what ifs. Couldn't find any. Me neither.

There was surprising lack of research out there on this movie. There's no oral history. There's no long feature. There's no 10 years later. It just kind of came and went from nobody's ever dove into it. I think also because it came in the middle of twilight before the social network. Like no one really did press for it. So there was no one doing interviews other than Greg Matola.

So if we didn't hear it from him, we don't know what happened in the making of this movie. Rough Lohanna Rubenick Partridge's overacting word They knew and they let it happen Don't you call me lady I come in here I give these things to you Give me all you got This and me

Give me all you got I treated you like a son You fucking stab me in the heart Fuck you I didn't I didn't really have one for this Did you? No

I agree I was like Seems like people are just doing their job I thought it was really well acted no one person was in a different movie. I don't know what M's dad is doing this movie, but I don't know if it's overacting. I just think it's a strange performance.

Best that guy award, James' dad is a fucking that guy. I had no idea what his name is, and I've seen him in multiple movies. His name is Jack Gilpin. But he's the guy who tells, in one of the first scenes, he's like, yeah, you know, we're downsizing, blah, blah, blah.

But that guy, he very, distinct face, but I didn't know what his name was. I think also they never say in the movie that he's an alcoholic, but he is. He drives with a bottle of liquor in his car, I guess, because he's lost his job and whatever. It's also a very good that guy role

because there's a lot of, like, ambiguity with him. Yeah. Dion Waiters, is Hayter eligible for this? I think he is, but I just want to say I think it's Kristen Wigg. She is so funny. With even less screen time than Bill Hader.

She is so hilarious. He's passed on. I don't think they're eligible. I think the scenes are too. Well, all right. If they are eligible, we can make them co-winners. I would, the traditional Dian waiters, I would go for the guy,

the hot-blooded lounge singer, that guy, just comes in off the top rope. So if we're going like junior D.N. waiters, I go, that guy, bigger one, it's either hater or wig. What about James's room, James' college friend, Michael Zeggan? who plays the asshole really well.

He's a good asshole. He's no hot-blooded singer. You love that guy. Recasting couch couldn't find any because I think this movie is really well casted. Maybe recast James' dad and have, I don't know, that could have been somebody fun. Could have been, I don't know, Gary Shantling. Oh, that would be good. But then you would be paying attention to him and like all the focus on the adventure land really works.

This episode is brought to you by the active. cash credit card from Wells Fargo. That's a mouthful, but that's because it packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small. So whether it's buying tickets to the game and grabbing a coffee, it earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Say it with me, the active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. Be a 2%er. Learn more at Wells Fargo.com forward slash active cash terms of play. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business, fast, reliable, Internet means everything for your business. And even this podcast, that's why I trust Spectrum Business.

They keep companies of all sizes connected with Internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, mobile services, plus 24-7 U.S.-based support. Millions of business owners already trust Spectrum Business. So visit Spectrum.com slash business to learn more. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. Have fast internet research. Filmed in Pittsburgh.

most of the screens were shot at Kennywood, which was a historic amusement park in nearby West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, heavily altered to look a little rundown. But it was based on Mottola, which is in Farmerdale in New York. So apparently there was a lot of snow during the filming

because they were filming during the winter. And they had to constantly remove snow, get rid of snow. If there were scenes where they were snowing, have extra stand in front of windows to block the side of the snow. Martin Starr's characters talks about walnuts and how do you want to see me go in a philetic shock? So his freaks and geeks character had a nut allergy. Right.

On the internets, they seem to feel like that was a callback to that. All right, here's what you need to know about real life Lisa P. So she's Russian. She was a really high-class Russian gymnast. And she was 11 years old. And she was called Master of Sports, which is the highest level you could get in Russian gymnastics. And was headed toward the Olympics,

but her family moved to the United States. And she started competing and she won. And the problem was she was the New York State champion, but she couldn't compete at the highest level because she was in the United States legally. and basically the Olympics didn't happen for her, and she ended up becoming an actress instead. Wow. Margarita Levieva. What could have been?

Well, I'm happy we had her as Lisa P., so I'm kind of glad it didn't work out. I'm still keeping my stock for her. I agree. She just needs one great prestige TV show. Like, let's get her on HBO and off of Showtime. I guess the Deuce was HBO, right? Duce was HBO, but I still like the thought. Let's get her on a big ticket HBO show. Let's get her in like season two, A Last of Us.

Oh, great idea. Yeah, I just think she needs, she just needs one great role. She's still young. Well, this was not her Apex Mountain. No. It was also not Jesse Eisenberg's Apex Mountain. It was not Kristen Stewart's Apex Mountain.

What was Kristen Stewart's Apex Mountain? Probably the last Hunger, probably the last Twilight movie where she then could just kind of move on to whatever she wanted because everyone knew who she was. Or maybe the third one because she hadn't broken up

with Brom Pattinson. yet, but I think it was around that time. For Jam session, it was probably when she was making out with the director. Definitely. Who is the director? Matthew Vaughn of X-Men fame, among other things.

I think as a Chanel model, people really, or like Chanel spokesperson, people really like her. And, you know, people like her indie stuff. She's, I feel like her cachet is much higher, but now, but Apex Mountain was definitely like around 2011. Ryan Reynolds, no. How about maintenance men, Ryan? They're like, that's Connell, the maintenance guy.

I feel like this is probably Apex Mountain for guys who fix stuff and movies. Somebody saying the words, doing push-ups without pants on. I think this is Apex Mountain. I've never heard that before. S&L Bill Hader, I'm going to say yes. 2009 was a great year for him. It was really when people super bad had been out, super bad was becoming a cult movie.

not a cult movie, like a major DVD rewatchable movie at that point. He had this movie out, S&L, he had Stefan, so he had this character that hit. It just felt like it was like a Bill Hader year. His real apex mound, I think, has to be one of the barriers.

Motola... I say yes. Oh, because I would say super bad because then that leads to him being able to make this movie. That's true. I guess I just think this, two good movies in a row,

you thought he would have partlaid into something. Like, is it possible for it to be your Apex Mountain, but you don't do anything with it? Well, he did Paul, which I think that was his next one, which I think the comedy community loved, but I don't think it did as well as maybe they were hoping. It's somewhere in here. Amusement Park movies, I'm going to say yes. I think so, too. I can't think of another one.

Eisenberg getting dumped in the first scene of a movie. I'm going to say still social network for that. For sure. And then Falco and Rock Me Amadeus. I actually think this was their Apex Mountain because that song, it did well in 1980, whatever came and went. But then it now gets to live on an adventure land and on the rewatchable. So there you go.

Best racehorse name. What'd you have for this? You know, I think there's quite a few different options from things that people say. But some of my options include. of perspective, which is a reference to the basketball hoop or like the law of perspective. I really like that one. What about just giant-ass panda? Could that be a racehorse name?

It probably could. I should have giant-ass panda at Apex Mountain. Also, like, the first minute of the movie, they tell James to have sex with a plain-looking, lonely, depressive. And I thought that would be a good racehorse name, too. Hmm. What about Adventureland? Oh, that's fun.

Why not? Here comes Adventureland. I think that could work. Pickin'nits. So he can't just try to get a scholarship for grad school or not a scholarship. Do financial aid or just. Right. Especially in the 1980s, people who know how dangerous some of the financial aid stuff was.

I just don't feel like you would give up on the school in 1987. You would figure out a way to do it and try to get it paid for. and, you know, basically be like the credit, you'd basically be up in a credit card with the school that you don't realize that you'd be paying for the next 30 years. I don't think he would have given up on the dream. I agree.

Also, if his friend was willing to pay for him in New York, why wasn't his friend willing to pay for him to go to Europe? Like, why don't you just move up that layaway that you're getting? Good point. I also have, this is, I mean, this is really a nitpick, but this is the whole point in the pick-and-knits category. not enough like Pittsburgh sports stuff, huge Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, huge sports town.

So you have the Penguins, Mara Lemieux is like really becoming like the next Gretzky right around now. Pirates, Barry Bonds is on there with Bobby Bonilla. Steelers, it's like Steelers country. It just felt like, just didn't feel like there was any sports stuff at all. Now, the characters weren't like jocks, but couldn't we have seen Ryan Reynolds wearing, I don't know, like an old Bradshaw jersey or, or something. There's some indication that we're in Pittsburgh. There was a lot of great t-shirts,

but no Pittsburgh T-shirts. And that would have been an easy way to do it. Like have Frigo wearing a Pittsburgh shirt of some kind. Or like a bonds. Like if you're going 87, like you really could have gotten distinct with the sports stuff. So what do you have for picking it? Anything?

I thought it was weird that he was like, I was supposed to go to Europe. My family has money problems. Would anyone, would even this character say my family has money problems like that to strangers? I thought that was pretty weird. just the way that he presented some of the issues.

Like he's not a moron. He just is like hyper self-aware. So I thought that was kind of strange. Also, are we supposed to believe that M doesn't know that she's just like one of many for Connell? Like everyone else knows that he brings girls to his mom's basement.

Is she really the one who's like unaware? She's not them either. Yeah, you're right. That's a good nitpick. You're basically trying to say that she's young and dumb, basically. Yeah, and she's not. Yeah, she's not.

The character we see is actually pretty wise, so I feel like, you're right. She would probably have solved that one. Sequal, prequel, prestige TV, all black cast are untouchable. It's funny you mentioned Noah Bomback earlier. I feel like the sequel could have starred these two seven years later and been directed by Noah Bomback.

And now they're in the late 20s in New York and one of them successful and the other isn't. Like, if we were going to go, that would probably the way I would go. I also think there is a prestige TV. season that you probably could have pulled off and blown out the world of the amusement park and gone in different directions with the characters.

It's one of the reasons of the movie. There's so many different characters that you could have dove in a little more. Yeah. I think you could do all black cast too. And like what is the coming of age for, you know, like a young black man after he graduates and doesn't have the money

he thinks he's going to? I think that's an interesting one as well. Is this movie better with Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trail, Catherine Hans, Steve Bouchemy, Sam Jackson, J.T. Welsh or Philip Baker Hall. Well, we don't have Chris here today to do Wayne Jenkins. I actually think Catherine Hahn would have been amazing as a stepmother. Yeah, that would have been good.

That would have been really good. I think Steve Bouchemmy could have worked at the Adventureland. Like there certainly was a role for him somewhere. As like a weird guy. Who just won Oscar? Who gets it? Mottola. I'd hammer Stewart, but probably Mottola.

That would 1A, 1B. I really like to turn this. this movie. She's great. Probably in answerable questions. Okay. So, Jay's favorite bummer songs, I freeze-framed when I was watching. There's 24 tracks on it. When they're playing the tape,

the mixtape that he made for her, in the car, pale blue eyes by Velvet Underground is playing. And I freeze-framed it to see what the other songs were. And I can only read a couple of them, which included Vienna. Okay. Milk and Honey. Grace Land and Maggie May.

I don't feel like Vienna's a bummer song. I was actually bummed out by the choice of Vienna as a bummer song. I really like Fianna. That song doesn't make me sad. I think it's bad job by Jay. I know. I like that song as well. Like favorite bummer songs, they should have way more Smith.

It should add the cure. We should have had some Joy Division on there. Joy Division, I mean, nothing was more depressed than their music. I think he needed to go sadder. Although classic Kim doesn't really know sadness, right? Right. He thinks he's heartbroken, but he's actually never been in a relationship. Would you have for unanswerable?

Anything? At first, I was like, how old is Joel supposed to be? Because he looks so much older than everyone else. Then they say he's in college. But I just, we just don't know much about Joel. Like, we know that he has less money, but what's going on with his family? Is he a super senior? I need my spinoff is just about Joel and how he got to.

to where he's supposed to be. How old do you think Ryan Reynolds was supposed to be? Probably 35 or like 32. Like meaningfully older than them and like to have been in a accidentally get married. But yeah. What did you think? I would have said probably like 2930 range. Something like that.

I would have given him one extra wrinkle like a prison record or, there's some sort of reason, like why life didn't work out slightly better for him. He's got to use his mom's basement. He's a terrible marriage, the whole thing. How did his wife find out? She's not like hanging out with these 20-year-olds. So how did he get to her? Great question.

Like she's not in this friend group. Smaller town maybe than we realized. I have another one that I'm going to do in a later category. Best double feature choice with this movie. So I was thinking either Wet Hot American Summer or the one you mentioned, the way, way, way back. Yeah, so it's a fun movie. Whatever that one's called.

It's a fun movie. Yeah. Sam Rockwell. What about Dazed and Confused? So you go 70s? Then you go 80s with this movie. Yeah, that's good. I like that one.

And it's another sort of like defined marker of like, you know, young person life, then to school. Which one would you watch first? I think Dazed and Confused. So you go 70s and 80s? I think this is a real beast. side movie. I love it, but it doesn't have like the same weight or like just immediate, like iconic feeling that like a Dase and Confused as or, you know, some of the Appetown movies.

It's a slow burn. The Indian Reds the Wadena Award would happen the next day. So I think they probably broke up like three weeks later. I really want to know what happened to him over the next year, though. What happens to James over the next year? He's working at like a TGI Friday's. Does he cross with cocktail? Does he meet Coglin and Flanagan? And do we have like, could that have been the crossover cocktail and Adventureland too? I think you're reaching really high for him. I was imagining more of like a bookstore or like a record store or something while he tries to write for like the village voice or I don't know, trying to figure out a way to like visit a prison like his role model Charles Dickens. I like the bookstore idea. What piece of memorabilia would you want from this

movie. I like the rides, rides, rides, rides, t-shirt, or I'd want the mixtape. I would definitely want one of Frigo shirts, the one that says, I'm Frigo, Capish, that's my favorite. There's a lot of good t-shirts. I would definitely want one of those. The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson. I would go, beware of the cool, braggie older guy who really turns out. to be more of, I guess, a cautionary tale would be my pick. The guy who seems a little like he outkicked his coverage to be working at the amusement park,

there's probably a reason he's not cool. Never go to the guy you're dating's basement if he doesn't actually live there. Like if it's going to be a basement, make sure it's in his actual home. That's a great one. I like that one more. Who won the movie for you? Kristen Stewart. This, to me, is my favorite Kristen Stewart.

She plays it perfectly in a way that you believe in M. And she's just really great. I agree. I have her as well. What's here we're producer Craig thinks. What did you think of this movie, Craig? I remember when it came out, it came out my freshman year of high school. And I remember nobody saying anything about it.

And I can't even remember if I saw it back then or not. Maybe I just saw clips. But it's a great movie and it's a really good script. And I think the reason why this movie didn't really work is I think it was misadvertized. I think the trailer made it look like it. it was a slapstick comedy. And I think people expected Superbad too, like post-college super bad.

It even had the same aesthetic as Superbad. Like Superbad looks very 80s. Even the start of the movie has like an 80s disco dance sequence thing. It has the same color palette. So I just feel like everybody was like, this is Superbad part two. And then in reality,

it was like an angsty, moody, much more like intellectual. The dialogue was much smarter. And it just, it feels like Motola got the green line on this because Superbad was so good. this was his personal story to tell. And I just think people were probably a little bit disappointed because they were expecting,

if you watch the trailer, it looks like a slapstick comedy. And it's not. Right. I remember being mildly disappointed with the first time I saw it. Yeah. If it had been advertised as like, new from Noah Baumack, Adventureland, I go in thinking like, oh, all right, this will probably be quirky, funny, but. But like the trailer has Bill Hayer with the bat and like it's all of the like jokes jammed

into a two-minute trailer. And I think everybody was like, oh, awesome, super bad. after college and it wasn't. I think that's fair. I think that's a good analysis of this because there's a reason this movie is, like, I was watching it with my wife the other night and I had it on and she didn't even know what I was watching. She's like, did we see this? And I was like, yeah, I think we saw it. I think we actually saw it in the theaters. I don't remember this. And then we're watching and it gets to the boner part. And she's like, this movie's great. Why have we watched this? And I was like, I watch this all the time when it's on. But I do think it was a slow

burner, which happens sometimes with these. We've covered a few of them in the rewatchables. This is definitely one of them. All right. This was produced by Craig Horlebeck, as always. Juliet Libman. A pleasure, as always. We have a huge rom-com coming a little bit later this spring that I haven't told you

about. Wow. What a tease for me and everyone. Yeah, one of the OGs. By the way, do you follow this Instagram account that has all these movie premieres from the 80s and 90s? No. I do.

It's a great account. I think Craig might have been the one that told me about it. It's by some Riley guy, something, but they had some good, with some Julie Roberts from the early 90s. And it's like, it's, it's this pre-us Weekly or maybe Us Weekly was around them, but you get all this celebrity culture stuff and these weird couples that are at the premieres together. Craig, you like this account? Yeah, it's called night openings.

It's awesome. All right. That's an instant follow. Sounds great. Yeah, it's just like 80s, 90s, premieres, all the outfits. It's great. They had a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer premiere premiere recently, and the first picture was Jason Priestley and the lady who played Emily Valentine. I was like, this is a top five Instagram account. I'd pay for this Instagram. All right, that's it for the rewatchables. We'll see you next week.