The Rewatchables - ‘The Gambler’ (2014) With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan

Episode Date: December 17, 2024

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan record this podcast from a position of “fuck you’ after rewatching the 2014 high-stakes thriller ‘The Gambler,’ starring Mark Wahlberg, Brie Larson, John Goodman, and Michael K. Williams. Watch this episode on your Ringer Movies YouTube channel! Producer: Craig Horlbeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The rewatchables brought to you by the Ringer podcast network where you can find a lot of the videos that we've done of episodes on the Ringer movies channel. Now we have a Ringer TV channel. We do. Ringer TV on YouTube. Are you cranking it on there? We sure are. There's some cranking? Yeah.

You're cranking it on a YouTube channel? Yeah, he's cranking it. The watch is cranking away. You did some three-person stuff? Yeah, me, Joe, and Rob did a little bit of a holiday recommendation kind of list for people, for people who are. looking for stuff to watch over the holidays? Was one of them carry on on Netflix? The second we're done here, I'm going home to watch it.

I watched the first 40 minutes. How was it? Eh, slow start. Oh, really? Really? Evil Bateman, though. I love evil Bateman. Didn't know, he's not on the poster. Well, Ozark.

He kind of buried him. He was pretty evil in Ozark. I guess he became evil. Well, I don't know how to describe the character in the gambler. Is he evil? Is he good guy? What the hell is he? What is this movie? He's a teacher.

It's a teacher. We're going to talk about the gambler on the rewatchables. It's next. But would a teacher like you get that kind of money? He knew how to win the game. I've seen you be half a million dollars off. Keeping up two and a half million dollars. But the rules.

I don't like to lose. I will kill your entire bloodline. Just changed. What's going on? Time to get away from me. I've never done anything like this before. You've got to meet me. You understand the gravity of your situation.

The gambler. I came to play. I'm ready to our. All right, C.R. This movie came out. We knew each other. Yeah. You were at Grandland.

Yeah. And Wesley Morris skewered this movie. And then you did a blog post and you really liked it. I loved it. You guys were like Jack and, who's the other guy and lost? Oh, Jack and Soir. Jack and Lock? Jack and Lock, yeah.

And you've been nudging me on this movie for years. Yeah. And I'm like two-thirds of the way there for a while. And then I caught it last year And it finally fell into place And then I watched it twice this week And now I'm all in It features it's about a bunch of stuff that we like

Yeah Genius writing, gambling And college hoops So it's already got a bunch of stuff That we're interested in But it's one of those weird You know Mid 2010's movies

That we would call like 5 o'clockers That at like on a Friday at Grantlin Or whatever we would kind of like Cut out a little bit early and then go see something over at the movie theater right by LA Live. And this was one that just kind of came and went. Like even with Wahlberg,

it didn't really make much of an impact either commercially or critically, but it's kind of like, at least for me, lived on. And I go back to it really often just to see just how fucking weird it is at times. Yeah, I remember he passed through the whole Grandland universe

because he really promoted this. And he did my podcast. I think he thought this was like an Oscar movie. Yeah, he lost all this wait for it. He, uh, I remember being excited because he did the podcast. And he never really talked about boogie nights that much. But during the podcast, I asked about boogie nights because we were doing rural history for it.

We were able to grab what he said and put it in there. But he was really confident it was going to be a big movie. And it just wasn't. But now it has this whole second life. And it's been on cable a lot. And I also think it's one of those movies. He really do have to watch a few times. And it feels like a cop-out.

But I don't think it is because there's a lot of themes in this movie. It's mostly a movie about ideas. I know people might laugh at like a Mark Wahlberg gambling movie being a movie of ideas, but this is based on a James Tobac film from the 70s, but is also based on a Dasdoyevsky book. And most of the scenes are not about like dramatic tension of what's going to happen. They're about two or three characters exchanging their points of view and their ideas about like how to live, how to live honestly, what people need to do to live successfully. And I think that that winds up rewarding a multiple view. viewing. It's also strangely a movie that you kind of

sometimes need to have subtitles on for. There's a lot of mumbling, but there's also a lot of really dense dialogue and dense speechifying. So it's just one of those things that if you have it on and on, you kind of get more out of it. It also has a fundamental question, which we've been sitting with for 30 years

now with Mark Wahlberg as an actor. Because you could make a case, he's the perfect actor for this movie. And you could make a case that there's 20 actors you would rather have in this movie. And that his limitations as an actor, and for what he's willing to do and not do in a movie

hold this movie back or it's perfect and I don't really know where I've landed on that this is kind of like this is the road not taken for Walberg you know like this is the Diggler

this is departed this is doing prestigious stuff working with really good scripts and he has since kind of almost at this moment gone in a completely different direction where he just didn't work now it's like all right

let's do some people like out like two family movies movies and an action movie every year. And that's kind of like what he's sort of done with the rest of his professional career, along with obviously, like, fitness training, regimen stuff and supplements and exercise gear. So I feel like this was actually like his last stand of being taken seriously as an actor. Yeah, I'm in conflict in so many ways with this because this is an English major movie. As you know, I hate English majors.

It's got a lot of big pretentious themes. And it's trying to do a lot of stuff, which instantly I'm, I'm against. I really do like Mark Wahlberg. I also don't know if he's that interested in going to certain places. And it's hard. And I've seen this movie now a bunch of times. It's hard not to imagine.

I'll just step on casting couch now. This to me would have been the perfect Bernthal movie. Oh, my God, dude. Like, just perfect. This is everything I would have wanted from a Berthall movie. The character would have made more sense to me. But I also think, like, to step on a casting would have flayed. Leo was initially attached

and I'm like, I kind of like that direction too. But on the other hand, so the rewatchable side of me, the five o'clocker side of me, the unintentional comedy side of me, I kind of love Wahlberg in this because he's,

there's moments where I'm not with him, but that's what's fun about it. We're like, oh man, Mark Wahlberg just didn't have it here. But then other moments where he's really good. You can make the argument that, I mean, honestly, we could sit here for half an hour

listing actors who probably would have nailed this. Oscar Isaac. Ethan Hawk, Mark Ruffalo. Like, so many different actors who probably... Ruffalo would have been a really good one. Probably would have been able to bring a little bit more familiarity with the teaching segments specifically. But there's something so weird about Walberg talking about Shakespeare and whether

or not Shakespeare actually authored his plays and Camus and, like, this stranger. And when he's, like, doing that stuff, you're like, he's trying so hard. to be believable, and he apparently spent like all this time watching professors do lectures, that it gives it this like otherworld equality. Do you know what I mean? Well, Niasa is a very strange haircut. Everything about

it is a very non-Walbert performance. The way he handles the gambling scenes is just stupid. It's everything he's doing is some sort of weird wild bird choice that I kind of like, but I almost wonder was this a better part for somebody else? Because the remake,

the original movie, the James Con movie, it's just a classic James Kahn Swagger part. Like just him being James Kahn. It's part of like a constellation of con parts like the thief. Godfather run, thief,

roller ball, all these movies where he's just like James Kahn swinging around. He might get the shit kicked out of him any time. He might kick the shit out of somebody else. Don't leave your wife or your girlfriend with them. Just machismo all the time.

And Walberg, it's probably closest to Dirk Diggler. And it's funny because he lost all this way for the movie. So he actually is the dirt. Dicker face, but he's got this weird hairdo. And I feel like he wants to go to this crazy place here. But yet really the only time he breaks down is the beginning of the movie when he's saying

goodbye to his grandfather. There's that. There's the scene in Amy's apartment where he, like, tells her what he wants when she jumps him. Yeah. But that's really it. Everything else, the whole point of this character, Jim Bennett, is that he just tells the truth. And it's actually like a really incredible.

dramatic, not invention of the film, but like, a thing to do is just, what if you had a character who was just always telling the truth, more or less? He actually doesn't really even lie to the bookies. Yeah, that's a good point. I'm trying to think that he tried to fib out anybody, never. No, I mean, you could say at the end

with the Lamar stuff, he doesn't tell all the truth, but he is telling the truth. I mean, he is being honest. When Lamar is, like, when he goes to talk to Lamar, it's not like, he's just like, you can do it for the money for you, but don't worry about me.

Like, it's going to happen either, way for me. All right, so let's get English Majorie then. Okay. So is this a movie about somebody with a gambling problem? Is it somebody who's self-destructive? Is it a movie about genius? Is it a movie about all of these things? What is it?

I think it's a movie about a guy who wants to obliterate himself to rebuild himself. And I think one of the coolest things about this movie is that there is no discernible trauma to this character that he is trying to recover from. Like, multiple characters confront him with that idea. You know, like, Brie Larson's

character is like, did you not have, like, you have no problems, so you had to invent them for yourself. John Goodman is like, oh, you're suicidal. Like, Michael K. Williams is always asking him, like, what his problem is. Yeah, like, you're a good looking guy, normal family. Yeah, Bunny. I think he's a character who, by all accounts throughout the film, wants to live, like, this ecstatic, special life.

And because he doesn't feel that way, he's just going to destroy the life he has. Like, the idea of being, like, relative. happy. Honestly, the entire fuck you speech, I don't think he, that to him wouldn't be happiness to have like a 30 year mortgage, a reliable car. Yeah. Money in the bank that's paying 3%

to 5%. That's not what he wants. He wants to like feel things on a massive level. He wanted maybe to be a novelist but knows he's not good enough. And so now he's like destroying the thing he is to feel anything at all. Yeah, like he would rather have James Winston as

his quarterback. That is honestly exactly right. He wants to see a guy throw for 150 yards to the other team than see Jalen hurt. Would you have Joe Burr or James? And he's like, I would love James. I would love the roller coaster rides on. Yeah, because, I mean, we'll dive into some of his blackjack.

I feel like it's incidental to the movie. He's stacking. Yeah. So when you stack, you're on a death wish. Yeah. You're basically like, I'm trying to win everything I can or go broke. Yes. And that's it.

So he loses all that money. And then it's, I guess my fundamental part, my problem with the film, which isn't really a problem, but he's just losing all this money. So he kind of seems like he wants to be murdered. He wants to either be reborn or die. Yeah. But there's no path for him being reborn because he's just losing crazy amounts of money that he's not going to be able to pay back. Yeah. I mean.

But then he meets Brie Larson. and it feels like that's giving him a shred of hope that he's like, maybe I should get out of this. Otherwise, he's on a suicide wish. I actually feel drawn to you. Like, even in the conversation that they have in the classroom,

he's basically like, physiology is the only thing that I can't explain. He's obviously, like, getting closer and closer and closer to her. So he feels like, obviously, like, this is the first thing that's come along in a while

that makes me want to be anything else than what I am. It's like how Doug Peterson just goes for it on every fourth and five. He's like, I can't feel it. anymore. I'm going to do this. Keep me rolled out with Trevor Lawrence. It's the only way I can feel anything anymore. Yeah, so this movie's, the big themes are like, to be or not to be,

all or nothing. Yes. What's the point of all of this? If you're not a genius. Don't try. Is it worth even should you just be an electrician at that point? It feels like everything they're trying to say in the movie is the first speech he gives to the class. Yes. Where he basically he basically evits it's the entire class and he points out to the Brie Larson character and she's like

this is the only one who was a chance Yeah and he's like if you were Shakespeare because they're talking about whether or not the works of Shakespeare

were actually authored by somebody else and like the kid in the class is like oh do you think it's because you know the Earl of Oxford and he was just like if you wrote Hamlet

can you imagine not putting your name on Hamlet right? Yeah and he's like there's only like five of these people 20 of these people 100 of these people

like everybody else is just is playing for scraps everybody else is kind of lying to themselves and he's like I won't lie to myself I just kind of it's just a very unique character for both him and for a 2014 movie to kind of present to us this seems like the kind of movie

if you could have said what script are you jealous of this would have been a script for you this Monaghan's kind of one of my guys so Monaghan wrote Kingdom of Heaven which is this really Scott movie that's incredible if you see the Ridley Scott director's cut

he wrote The Departed and he did this and then he's had some ups and down since then with movies that he's tried to direct and do work on but this is just a riff movie you know like every character in here is just like hey man here's like three pages of stuff to just riff on

it doesn't really even like the first time he goes and sees Goodman you're just like I don't know what was the point of that you know what I mean you didn't take his money that he offered you but they're just like they're just podcasting they're just viving with each other yeah you have multiple characters who definitely wouldn't be this this deep in real life and yet all them are super deep

even like the college basketball player like really self-aware just has some awesome thoughts then you go to John Goodman. He's definitely been moved by the stranger John Goodman who's just a murderer. He has these deep thoughts about the position of fuck you and then the Michael K. Williams character, same thing

like really interested in human connection and the reasons why people do shit. I'm not sure real life works that way but that's what makes this movie so fun. Yeah, I It's this alternate universe of what the gambler would be. Right. And there's also, like, I think for people, one of the reasons why it was disappointing is that exactly what you're saying about stacking is that there's actually not a lot of juice to the gambling scenes.

And that was my biggest disappointment the first time I saw it. Yeah. I didn't really under it. I was so ready for gambling shit. And I also really like the James Con movie. And it was so different than that from a sense of what he was trying to do. Sure. That I just had trouble with it.

And then it would pop on and be like, oh, all right. Yeah. And then you're like, I kind of like that. Bree Larson. Well, because it's a much bigger star now. The card playing is boring, but what he's saying during the card playing is kind of interesting. You must be new here. There is no limit.

Also, he's delivering all his lines like Andy Sandberg doing the impression of him. Say, how do you mother for me? He's got this, like, weird edge to his everything. It's such a weird, this would be a really fun Oscar to hand out every year. Like, just, this is a little. is a weird one for you. Yeah, this is a weird one. Yeah, here we go.

It's a weird one for you. Category. Just people kind of going sideways of the movie. I also wonder whether part of the reason why you and I like this movie is that it is to, if Den of Thieves is like the J.V. version of Heat. Yeah. This is kind of the J.V. version of Thief and maybe like collateral. Cool L.A. movie.

Yeah. Guy with an open shirt collar. I would have thrown in rounders. Yeah, but I mean specifically like the Michael Man. Like there's like they use like the deep sink. kind of score here a bunch of times. And it kind of gives you a little bit of that feeling of driving around

L.A. or running around L.A. in the end and having this kind of breakthrough moment in this weird city. But it's not quite as good as those films. Well, it has one other element that you and I both love is when movies create this little mini world inside a city

we already think we know. And it's like you're going down, downstairs, or you're parking your car and you're getting out. It seems like you're vowing for a party, but actually you're going into this whole crazy secret blackjack world or like this whole secret card world and just this whole underbelly,

kind of the high class underbelly, which I think John Wick really nailed in a great way. John Wick's like, we're taking the high class underbelly to a whole other level with Continental. There's, you know, obviously in heat, there's BJs on Alvarado, the nightclub that Al Pacino goes to. And I feel like Rupert Wyatt and Williamanahan

when they made this movie, we're like, we have to like, we have to double down on BJs on Alvarado. So, like, when he goes to the Korean town card playing, like, casino at the end, he goes through, like, an internet cafe, an opium den, a noodle bar. And then he gets to the casino. Well, and that Rounders place, too, the place, the Russian, with the Chesterfield. Anytime a guy walks into a pretty nondescript place and then takes an elevator somewhere,

Michael Clayton, Rounders, like any... we go into a backroom that then also has a back room, I'm in. And there's some sort of hot waitress or cash register person who has that look like, uh-oh, he's back and you just kind of know what you're in front right away. But she's also like a philosophy major. Yeah. And also totally ready to hook up with them again.

It's such a strange Walberg movie. I made me think like, what are my favorite Walberg movies? What's my relationship with Wahlberg in general? Because we've now had him for three decades and he's been in a lot of stuff. He's in one of my favorite movies ever, Boogie Nights, which I think is probably still my favorite Wahlberg.

But he's also in a lot of other stuff I like, like the Italian job. Fears is a super weird movie. The Fighter, 2010? Yeah, I mean, the yards, I Heart Huckabee's. Patriots Day. He does a lot of, like, he, for the first 10 years, 15 years of his career,

was still, like, searching around for that. The departed? Yeah. Like, I think he was, like, kind of, not on Christian Bale's track, but was like, I wanted to do these kinds of roles, though. Yeah,

he was in, it was somewhere like Damon and DiCaprio both turned this part down, and next stop was Mark Wahlberg. Yeah. A lot of times. Like, could he, could he have done the born identity?

He probably could have. Now after this, pretty much after a gambler, he more or less does a couple of Pete Berg movies where he's kind of, like, doing, you know, prestige acting. But, like, Deepwater Horizon.

And then after that, it's like Transformers, Daddy's Home, Mile 22, Spence are Confidential. Like, he makes two or three movies a year. There's one family, one, and one thriller, or action movie. And he does Ted two years before this, which is a really funny movie that had, I don't know, had some legs. Did you do a Ted rewatchables? Not yet. Okay. But that was a weird choice.

So there's like a sense of humor with him. But I also am not positive. He has a sense of humor. I think it's a very... Because I remember he was like really mad about the same. thing and he had to come on the lot next week and he like made fun of Sandberg back because he was pissed. It seemed like he was going to

fight him. Say how to your mother for me? He also, before he did this, he sought the blessing of James Khan. Do you think Jimmy Conn was like... Jimmy, Mark Wahlberg here. How are you? There's a dead man on the other end of this phone.

John's like, don't do it. Well, I'm going to do it anyway. They already paid me. Tobac wasn't happy about this either. I don't think. I wasn't happy about it when I heard about it because, you know, anything mid-70s on,

if it's still watchable, I'm always going to have my guard up. But they did really make it different than the original in a lot of ways. There's also just, I think for me, you know, like Michael K. Williams has passed on,

but this is like one of those movies where the star keeps walking into scenes where he's getting his doors blown off by the other guy in the scene. Even Brie Larson. Yeah. Like Brie Larson, like Brie Larson, Michael K.

Williams, Goodman, even Dom from Entourage, whatever that guy's name is. Mr. Lee's really good. Yeah, he's a good. Jessica Lang's good. You're right. He's always like, it feels like he's the second best actor in nine scenes. I think Emery Cohen cooks him a little bit, like in a good way, but like that

character is really cool. Well, Goodman's incredible in this. And this is like, I, Goodman has put together so many just awesome, memorable supporting parts that I almost feel like that's a bigger part of his legacy now for me than Roseanne.

You know Roseanne was one of the biggest shows of the 90s. One of the great character actors of all time. But nobody's talking about Roseanne in 2024. But I think some of these movies that he's in, that he's able to just kind of fly into like a gust of wind. Yeah. And he could just, what's he in three scenes in this movie? Literally.

I mean, like three and a half. Because the one in the bathhouse, the one at the course track, and then one at the end when he shows up at the Koreatown place. I don't think he's ever been nominated for an Oscar. He's not been? He's not been? He's not been? I don't think so.

probably want some comedy Emmys once upon a time, but it's a great movie for him. It's a great movie for Michael K. Williams, a.k. Omar. Yep. Who really had a nice stretch after The Wire when he would pop up with stuff

and you would be delighted to see him. Did he win or no? He did not. Yeah. You're right. So, based on Dostoevsky's novel, originally, kind of, sort of. I researched tests,

and it really doesn't seem like it's based on a lot. Did you, I mean, I think it also, like draws from I draws heavily from the stranger and the idea of like an existential sort of mindset yeah what was the closest you came to him in this movie you're just ready to throw it all away

is there New Bear Comics moment I think when Ryan Howard tore his Achilles I was like fucking take it yeah so directed by Rupert Wyatt really well this is I think a superbly made movie and turns out to be like one of

peaks of his career. And I think he was a promising director that seemed like it went sideways. Yeah, he did a Planet of the Apes movie. He did this. And then has kind of like done some sci-fi stuff, but has kind of fallen out of like the rotation. Had some scandal stuff with Kristen Stewart. No, actually, that was Rupert Sanders.

Oh, that was a different Rupert. Different Rupert. Damn, I got my Rupert's mixed up. That was my fault. I was, I told you that. And I was like, oh, wait, I got to double check this. He also, uh, this is shot by Greg Frazier, who's one of like, the four or five best cinematographers.

L.A. looks awesome. There's some great photography in this. Yeah, L.A. looks so awesome. I had trouble figuring out where we were in almost every scene. Yeah, I was trying to figure out where he lives, where Jim's places. Topanga, maybe?

Couldn't figure it out. He's got that little, like, on where he's running all the way through the end, I can only figure out, it kind of seemed like he ended up at our office. Yeah, well, I think he's in... He's supposed to be in Korea town, but it seems like he's running through downtown Los Angeles

to get back to, like, a little bit north of MacArthur. I'll tell you this, that is a much more action-pack run than maybe they made it seem in the movie. 25 million dollar budget made $33 million. Here's what Wesley Morris wrote for Grantland. Shout out to Wesley, who's been on this podcast many times. Mark Wahlberg's grown so much in the last 15 years

that you forget his limitations. He still can't show you what's happening inside a character. He needs dialogue and needs somewhere to run. The gambler gives them both, but they're both terrible. the dialogue never leaves the surface and the running across LA happens in the last sequence it's supposed to thrill you

but it's such a cliche that your embarrassment extends to the crew member has to fall with the camera as Walberg chugs along. Wasn't a fan. Wesley, tell him how you really feel.

I wonder if like 10 years later was this like, no, I kind of like it now because he's thought that with some other ones. Roger Ebert was sadly not alive. Roger Ebert.com gave this two stars.

well I had to do chat GBT Robert Roger Ebert I know you hate this Unethical Why is it unethical It's a sin he's dead you can't ask a robot to imitate him Wanted to find out Don't do this to me He said chat GBT said probably two and a half to three stars

Ebert was known for a sharp eye With character driven dramas And his appreciation for films that explored Moral complexity and self-destruction Not wrong Why he's so nervous He was often skeptical of remakes and tended to hold them to a high standard.

True. Yeah. He may have praised Mark Wahlberg's commitment performance but questioned whether the character of Jim Bennett was as richly drawn or compelling as Axel Freed in the original. In summary, Ebert's review would have likely been a thoughtful balance

of praise for its ideas and critique of its execution. That sounds about right. The robots are coming for us, Chris Ryan. He would have been a little annoyed about them remaking a 70s you know, cult classic. Yeah, during a time that 74 to 77 stretch

when it feels like all of those movies just should not be touched. Yeah. Did you do, are you three days of a Condor or TV show? The TV show? Yeah. I watched a bit of it. Yeah, I thought it was cool,

but it was just like, that's one of the great 70s movies. Yeah, I won't watch it. Okay. I'll watch Carry on, though, with evil Jason Bateman. Based on Alan McCulles. Carri-on.

Yeah. Now it's time for the most rewatchable scene brought to you by Den of Thieves 2, Pantera! Yes! Ready for a new killer heist movie? Gerard Butler and O'Shea Jackson Jr. are back in the sequel to the original hit.

But this time, The Cop goes gangster. See Den of Thieves 2, Pantera only in theaters, January 10th. We'll be seeing it before January 10th. Yeah, I hope so. Be calling it some favors for that one.

Christmas night. Let's make that a big franchise. All right, most rewatchable scene. This movie just kicks right in. Let's go gambling. Yeah. No opener. No like him at a Dodger game playing in the day.

No coffee house scene. No him. He's just gambling right away. Tell me if I got this rate. Walks in with 10 grand. Yep. Goes up 80. Blows it.

Now owes 240. Well, I want to talk about the gambling. Okay. Of course we're going to have to. I said, love blackjack. Yeah. So he's stacking from 10. He wins on a 19 fair.

15 against a king, hits, which I would hit to, gets a 6, 21. So now he's up 10 and 20. So now he's up 40. 15 against a 13, he stays,

which I think is the right move. And he throws a, he gets like a face card, right? Like he gets like a 10? Yeah. He stays, dealer gets the face card bus. So now he's up 80.

At that point, you've won four, you've won four in a row. You're gonna be like, that was great. probably taking half the bets going back. He's like, fucking all in. 14 hits, bus,

starting over, gets mad at the dealer. Double it. You must be new. Double it. Double it. Make it 80,000. Come on Mr. League cover a lot more than that,

but you must be new. Double it. Gets a nine against a five, gets an ace, stays on 20, and then anyone who loves Blackjack knows what happened next to or it gets the 15 and the 6th. Now all of a sudden he's down, what, 150? Yeah, he owes 240 and then he borrows 50 grand from Neville, from Michael K Williams,

at 20 points interest. Can we just call him Omar for the rest of the podcast or no? Michael K, I'll call Michael K. He earned the Michael K. Michael K says, it's an unequal general situation. Does he say it's a losing proposition? he's like, so is life. Yeah, he says, life's, this is what Walberg says,

life's a losing proposition, you might as well get used to it. Yeah. So when he says that, you're like, all right, this guy's fucking suicide pack with himself with gambling. So he gives Mr. Lee 40K and he keeps 10 to gamble. Leads me to the next, it's a small rewatchable, but Mr. Lee says, your luck is no good tonight. You came in with $10,000 in cash. You didn't give it to me.

And Walbrook says, well, this is a gambling establishment. But you owe me $240,000. I want it in seven days. And what happens? He takes the 10K. Gets 21 and 20. Gets a new dealer. New dealer.

21 and 20 wins the first two. Gets a 12 she bust. So he's won the first three hands. He's back kind of on the road again. Yeah. He also has one of my favorite lines of the movie where she goes, it's for your protection. And he goes, you don't come here for protection.

You don't come here for protection from yourself. You come here for the fucking opposite. Yeah. So deal the cards. Right. First thing goes to the pit, but don't look at him. There's no limit. Fuck my protection.

Please deal the cards. I didn't know Jim Bennett was from fucking South. I'm giving him the South Day. I'm giving the departed accent. Please deal the cards. Fucking act. Fucking Belichick. So Blackjack turns 80K and a 200k.

And then decides to take it over the roulette wheel, which is yet another. So he's just clearly trying to go back. Yeah, he's up 160 or whatever. He goes up. bets on black and loses fucking masterpiece scene. I could watch that 10 minutes over and over and over again. He goes on black. Michael Kegos, it's been coming up

red all night. It's like, all right, fine, black. And that's it. Really enjoyable. It's like 20 minutes all the way through. We get to meet some characters. Great stuff. Mr. Lee's Casino seems to be on the PCH? Get the ocean view. Maybe a little bit in. Palisades? I don't know. Is there a lot of illegal gambling estableness? I was thinking a little, like, slightly seedy Venice.

It's in the hills. Oh, it's in the hills? Yeah, you're right. He goes up. Seems like palisades. Yeah, palisades has to be the answer then. Because we could see the ocean and he's going up hill. Next one, Walberg's, uh, his big speech about how hard it is to be a novelist.

Yeah. I mean, we accept genius in sports as something we cannot do. But it's no more likely that you could be. a writer that you could be, what, an Olympic pole volta? Because what you have to be, before you try to be a polevolter? Hello? It's a polevolta, no? Yeah. You are one.

A polevolter? A novelist. No, I am not. For me to be a novelist, I would have to make a deal with myself. That it was okay being a mediocrity in a profession that died commercially in the last century. All right, people do that. I am not one of them. If you take away nothing else from my class, from this experience, let it be this. if you're not a genius

don't bother all right the world needs plenty of electricians and a lot of them are happy I'll be fucked if I'll be a mid-list novel is getting good reviews from the people I give good reviews too

just some gems in here what was your favorite part I think him dunking on the nerdy kid who's trying to get get into his good graces and he's just like absolutely not

but I think probably it's just all about the unequal distribution of talent and I love the when he somehow has a first round draft pick NBA player like coming a future at first round draft pick and the number two tennis player

in the country in his class and a genius writer. That's quite a class. I don't remember any of those classes at Emerson. My classes I had like Jacko. Yeah, it's like I got Jabari Smith Jr. Yeah. Worst case scenario.

the third pick of the draft. I like when he does... Oh, I also love when he's talking to Emory Cohen about tennis, and he's like, as you, when you realize that you were the best, what did you start to think?

And he's like, oh, I started to think about the game. And he goes, that's an IQ breakpoint, brother. What the fuck? I love it. I know what that means. If you're not a genius,

don't bother. The world needs plenty of electricians and a lot of them are happy. I'll be fucked if I'd be a mid-list novelist giving good reviews to the people I give good reviews to. Yeah. That is very funny.

And then he points out, Bree Larson. At a very early, Bree Larson stage of the movie for her. Nothing has really happened for her yet. In the movie or in her career? In her career. She's done short-term 12,

which is like this weird, awesome movie, but is also like her, Romney Malik and Michael B. Jordan in the same movie, right before they all get famous. Like she's two years away, is it train wreck with Amy Schumer?

2016. Yeah, and then rooms right after that. She's in a couple other ones. One of those ones you always liked her, but you never kind of totally know what was going to happen with her, and then all of a sudden she became Brie Larson. Yep.

She chooses to hide and put in there the rest of you. Why? But do you know who does write at the highest level? When most of us, and even I, even I, write barely adequately. Do you know who it is? In this room, who is it? Don't give me that look. No, no, no, no, no.

It isn't the one who talks the most. You're an NPR host, Hops. Okay? The literary person in here is Miss Phillips. She's Elisa Streperus in this room, the quietest, and the only one who can have a real career at letters.

Some of you can have one perceptually. Only she can have one in reality. she is better at writing than our U.S. presently amorture number two is a tennis yet she chooses to hide or just blend in with the rest of you why

and she answers being in the middle is the safest place to be which I think is one of the themes of the movie yeah and that's what he refuses to accept he doesn't want to be in the middle he'd rather just be killed in an alley because he'd lost $250,000 because he kept stacking no money no advantages

genius is magical not material. I mean, basically he's that douchey guy in your hall in college, who just has these big, crazy things that he's saying about how society works, and everybody's like, fucking Tommy's going

nuts over there. Yeah. Also, like, the English teacher who smells a cigarette smoke kind of has red eyes. Yeah. You know, likes the books that aren't on the syllabus. Definitely hooking up with one of the students. You know, has like a kind of tattered Cormack McCarthy novel in his back pocket. And you're, you're a

completely enchanted by him. You're just like, oh my God, this guy's spitting. Professor Smith is amazing. Next one, John Goodman's first scene. Shaving his head. He sees three problems. With Jim.

He wants to live like a monk. He wants to dance with the devil, and he wants to borrow money to pay off debts that he can't pay off. Associate professors, let's just say he teaches at USC, because that has to be someplace that would be a program I'm big enough for Lamar to get considered to go to the NBA, right? I had either UCLA or USC.

I don't see if he's in L.A. It has to be one of those two schools. I feel like it's USC because he's just in central Los Angeles a lot. Yeah. Associate Professor makes 150K USC? I guess that's in the ballpark, right?

Successful novelist? No, because he says he only made 17 grand office novel. People knew the novel. There was a little cap-in-lawful. Michael K. Williams is like a reading your novel. My favorite Frank line in this scene is when he's like, birth, education, intelligence, talent, looks, family money.

Has all of this been some real comprehensive fucking burden to you? Right. I like that you went a little loggia. You need that cross loggia and Goodman. I need this money because I'm a scumbag gambler. Say it. Say I am not a man. I need something from you.

What? Collateral? No. I need. You need you to tell me, I need this money because I am a scumbaggambler. I am a scumbag gambler who is drowning in his own shit. That's the kind of man. I am Frank. And I want you to loan me a dying suicidal asshole, a lot of money.

That's too much to remember to repeat it. Well, I'll make it simple for you. You want this money. You tell me I am not a man. Say it. And so he won't. Right. He won't do that.

This is like... He's a man of principle. And he... If you go by the adage, the Jim is always honest in this movie, he must... Part of him must think... Because he keeps telling people,

I am not actually a gambler. This is more of a means to an end to erase something about my ego, you know? Next one, he goes to see Lamar. And Lamar tells him he's got a knee. Jim Nance with a huge impact on this movie. It's right when Jim Nance was just skipping verbs talking about body parts.

But I really like that. Lamar's... I think it's good. The Lamar scene is really good and his like, I'm not happy, you know why, because I'm teaching the modern novel

to a classroom full of students. We don't give a fuck. Right. Yeah. Casino Blackjack with, with Bree.

Goes to the casino with Bree, which I think is the Morango, which I've been to. And I have this written down as Jim's reverse 82 point game. It's how fast can I blow? Well, he starts off by doubling down on an 18,

demanding a three and gets. it. And you just know that night's not going to go well after that happens. That is not going to be the sign that you're going to have a four hour run. That's usually super lucky. I have a great shock order award for this. The fast forward is super cool. Oh yeah. Really hard gimmick to pull off. It usually fails in movies. Limitless did it too. Yeah. Usually when people try it, it's not great. No, it also does a good job of like all the different emotions people are going through, but he's completely static. I have a nitpick that's too important to wait on. he just shows up and he's got a shitload of money

and he's just dropping whatever two pit bosses would be behind the dealer like ASAP Saying what though Just watching Okay You're just not doing that with some random dealer Betting the Kahn

They wouldn't be like change to 50,000 Like It like the whole casino would stop Everybody would come over behind the table I was going to ask you about like What is it How does it Because I only play blackjack

Like one might go for like summer league or whatever. Like, I don't gamble up. But how do you... Because Sean's playing poker by himself and you need somebody to go. I guess I'm gonna give the shrimp cocktail. Turns in fucking Raymond Babbitt for nine hours. You're actually right.

I would love to gamble, but Sean won't do it with me. Sean's just listening to William Friedkin movies on audio and his headphones. He's listening to Director's Commentary and playing fucking hold him against like an 80-year-old Navy veteran. He's listened to the sisters, Brian DeKama. Yeah. He's listening to his $120. instantaneously, and then we just go drink for the rest

night. But how does it get translated around the around the room? Oh, let's go watch this guy. He's on a heater. Or let's go watch this guy. If there's that kind of money from the table, you would get the crowd behind, but you would have way more people. There would be

at least two, three people behind the dealer. Because normally you'd bet that kind of money at the high stakes table. So if you're just sitting down with the common people betting that, there's people, they'd be watching. The fucking cameras going on. I was one of my disappointments with the that he never, like, did the fuck you with the camera. Because he was such a fuck you kind of guy.

I felt like, turn that fucking thing off. Like, he didn't do any of that. I want to just mention that one of the most captivating moments of my adult life was watching Bill, House, and Chang. Podcast from Caesars. The day after we gambled all night. The morning after Chang and House had gone out for gumbo. Yeah.

Like, I think, did Chang sleep that night? No. Right. So gambled all night. Yeah. And just went straight out and had gumbo in some weird Joe house spot. Yeah. Off the strip.

And then we potted. And then potted about like Chang winning a bone colored chip that he had to like go fucking show social security number four. Chang is kind of like the guy. And that's also when I learned about people betting into people from like you can just be like I'm going to bet on this guy. Yeah. That's fucking crazy.

Chang's a little bit like Jim and the gambler. Like if he has a run, he's got a self-sabotage it somehow. Let's go to craps. I'm just going to start betting. on random shit. Next one, Goodman's second scene. Oh my God. The fuck you speech.

Open up two and a half million dollars. What do you got on you? Nothing. What'd you put away? Nothing. You get up two and a half million dollars. Any asshole in the world knows what to do. You get a house with a 25-year roof,

an indestructible Jap economy shitbox. You put the rest into the system of three to five percent to pay your taxes, and that's your base. Get me? That's your fortress of fucking solitude. That puts you for the rest of your life at a level of fuck you. Somebody wants you to do something.

Fuck you. Boss pisses you off. Fuck you. Own your house. Have a couple bucks in the bank. Don't drink. That's all I have to say to anybody at any social level. Does your grandfather take risks?

Yes. I guarantee he did it from a position of fuck you. I think this is my favorite thing. This is the best. Okay. everyone's been there once. If you're there twice, I can't help you. Some really good wisdom in this.

Do you have the brains to walk when it's time to walk? But then the big speech, I guarantee he did it from a position of fuck you. A wise man's life is based around fuck you. The United States of America is based on fuck you. You're a king, you have an army, greatest navy in the history of the world. Fuck you.

Blow me. We're fucking up ourselves. He's amazing in this scene. And I actually really agree with them. I like the position of fuck you. This is why both of us would defend this movie to the death. Like, this movie has great themes and thoughts in it. Yeah.

And it's like every one of these guys is either trying to entice him into a life of servitude or get him to see, like, what he could be. Yeah. And they're always like kind of, they're almost like these kinds of religious or spiritual tests more than they are like bookies. And I kind of love that, you know? It's a good movie trope of just random people who aren't good people, but for some reason care about this other person that in real life they would just be like...

I don't know why Frank cares that much. I guess the implication is that he knew Jim's dad or grandfather, the grandfather. It's the Neville thing, the Michael K. Williams character, is basically like, I want to set up like a gambling ring that goes on for years. Yeah. The basketball game. I wanted to ask you about this. I thought it was solid.

I actually thought it was pretty realistic. Just too dark. Well, because I think they probably couldn't afford fans. So they had, nowadays they would just see Jad the fans. But we were still in that world of, like, Rockies, the worst of this. Yeah, where it's like, it's the lights are down so you can only see. They have to darken out the entire spectrum. So that was it.

But I actually thought, I kind of liked his game. Yeah. Who was he like, Lamar Allen? I think he's like a proto-Jabari Smith Jr. Yeah, but he's a little shorter. Rangy? No, he seems like he's like 6.6. You think he's that tall?

No, they listed him. He was 6.5. They showed it. Yeah, I thought he was a little more... Well, we're going to get into, like, what this movie communicates properly and does it about NCAA sports. Okay. I thought he was a little Dimar de Rosani, but almost like what Shabazz... Following in D'Muars footsteps at U.S.

What Shabazz Muhammad should have been, but wasn't? Like, theoretical... Theoretical Shabazz Muhammad? An hour and a half being like a little bit of a young Norman pal. Because he was like a slasher. He had like this inside outside game, but he wasn't that big. God, I had Shabazz Mahmah. Good passing.

I just never worked out for him. Cleantany early, maybe, you know? Oh, clean, Anthony early. Then last one, the big bet. He bets black. Really good setup. Another great underbelly place we get to go into. And multiple people watch him.

It's black. It's 22. Do you think that this movie is actually saying that gambling, is all chance and that there's no skill to it. Did you want like a great blackjack scene at the end of this movie?

I mean, that always is by preference, but I don't think the movie's interested in gambling as much as self-destruction. The gambling is just like incidental. A way for him to fuck up his life. I don't think it really cares about it.

Which is probably that's the thing. I wanted, when I watched this the first couple of times, I wanted the game. gambling to matter more in the movie because I love the gambling stuff. But if you view it more as like leaving Las Vegas or something.

Like he's, it's just self-destruction. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So we have the same rewatchable scene? Yes, far away from Frank. All right. That was the most rewatchable scene brought to you by Denna Thieves 2, Pantera. Get ready for all the action, drama, and chaos. As Gerard Butler's character

goes from cop to criminal in a brand new heist, see Denna Thieves 2, Pantera, only in theaters January 10th. Gerard Butler, I really think out kicked his coverage for me with movies that he made. If you were going flight to Australia for the Australian Open, and they were like, we have no other movies today except Gerard Butler. I'd be like, I'm fine.

That's 20 hours. I'm in. For the Australian Open. It's like, we just have Gerard Butler. That's it. Let's take a break and we'll come back at the rest of the categories. This episode is brought to you by Apple and 18. and T. Scroll long enough and you'll hear it all. Miracle diets, fitness trends, you name it.

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2014 thing about this movie? This is easy, young Brie Larson. Oh, sure. Yeah. She seems like such a young pup in this, and now is Brie Larson. It's just it was, just notable to watch it. Yeah, there was also

like this was an era of crime adjacent movies. Yeah, like focus. Be like, hey Richard Schiff, hey Michael K. Williams, hey John Goodman. Yeah, we need you for like four days. Right. You know, can you come in and nail this scene? And like, you know, like so that was like, I feel like triple nine, like there was a bunch of movies right around here

where it was like, man, this is just like kind of trashy, but really like way more, the acting is. way better than it needs to be. You know, that's an interesting concept, and I wonder when that started, because you think, like, when Jack Nicholson did the Joker, and people are like,

oh, this is cool, so you could have the biggest star of the movie in the villain, and then that Jack Nicholson starts the villain era, and then everybody wanted the villain part. I wonder when the DM Waiters era started, basically.

Yeah, like I can come in and just do... Because Goodman does this in flight, too, so that's 2012. Yeah. Departed. you have a lot of like really good, that's 2006. Yep. You have a lot of good actors in like small part.

Like Baldwin's in that movie. Not that much, but just killing every scene he's in. So it's somewhere like mid-2000s when actors realize like this is a huge win for me if I crush these four scenes. Yes. I'll just do this like weird Casey Affleck cop movie where I come in and I'm like a heroin dealer. Yeah. You know. I mean, maybe it goes all the way back to like, you know, Gary Oldman and, uh,

True Romance. Oh, yeah. That's actually a good. Hopper walking. Maybe that's when it starts. Yeah. What's age the best? A hot girl making a wait, you're gambling again?

Oh, no face. When does that not work in a movie? But the funny thing is, is that this relationship starts with him already in the tailspin. Yeah. So she was not going to be like, oh, I thought I was going to start dating Jonathan Franzen here. I have some more thoughts on that later. What's age the best? I always like winning the credits when it says it was cast by Sheila Jackson.

Yeah. I was thinking she has good taste. Yeah. Sheila. Not quite rewatchable's category status, but... Super job, Sheila. Best casting? Best cast her.

I see her. I always know the movies in good hands. How about King of Spades as an iPhone address entry? Oh, yeah. Do you do anything with your iPhone where you put, instead of the person's name, you put other stuff in there? Oh, like a funny, like, you know, Mr. Like something for fantasy where it's like Mr. Freakin. No, I have some mean stuff in my phone.

Okay. Yeah, there's a couple of agents that I have. They come up as fuckface dot, dot, dot on my phone. And you know who you are. Agents are the worst. Is that a shot at Bernie Lee? No, Bernie Lee is in my phone as Bernie Lee. I like Bernie Lee.

What do you have for what stage is the best? Because I have a few more. Michael K. Williams. Yeah. Just awesome. I forgotten how big his part was in this movie this most recent. rewatch and it's just so awesome watching him, Cook. He was taking from us, man.

That sucks. I love the connections between the scenes of where they have like these ideas that seem to be getting passed from scene to scene. So like talking about Frank talking about like suicidal gamblers almost goes immediately into the Camus scene.

Yeah. About Jim being like, saving the sixth bullet is something no one ever noticed except for me and that is why I am here. And that is actually a William Monaghan. Like he was like, I noticed that. and that kind of sent me down the road of writing about literature for a while. Well, you had Farrow Woodsage the best of Moynihan dipping into old departed dialogue, right? What did he do?

World needs plenty of electricians. World needs plenty of politicians. He's like, I'm just going to run that back. Also, just got to say, man, if you put a scene in Koreatown, your movie is a B, at least. I'm trying to think of any time Korea Town is in every, and the funny thing is when you go to Korea Town, which is one of my favorite places in L.A. in one of the best food places in the country. But if you're there at night, you feel like you're in a movie

no matter where you are in a Korean town. If you're there during the day, you're like, Jesus Christ. Yeah, during the day, it's like, what's going out here? The, I have the soundtrack is just funky and weird. Yeah, John Bryan and Theo James, I think, did it,

and it's like... Two M83 songs? Yeah. You big M83 guy? Not really. Okay. But I like the way they use the music in this. You've got a BMW M1.

How are you unhappy? I'm just blind in on any line like that in a movie. I know I'm in the right answer to the movie if somebody said that somebody else. Did you write this because you believed in it or because you thought it was what people wanted? She asked him at one point. Just a good idea.

Yeah. And his answer was he probably wrote that book because he thought that's what people wanted as a book but not it didn't come from his heart, which I think is another big theme in this movie. The quick exchange that Neville and Jim have where he's like, you could go,

like there's only $10,000 against it at Warner Brothers, and Neville's like, it's an indie at best when they're talking about the adaptation of it. Yeah, it's good.

Very good. I like Lamar's third person routine. And then when he talks about him, I'm the third person, but my favorite is Michael Kay and his crew watching the point shaving game. And it becomes like the first

alt gambling cast. This is the barstool. Yeah. The betting stream. This sets up. This is on Turner. You can watch the NBA Cup quarter finals, or there's Jalen Rose and Kurt Goldsbury

and Michael K. Williams. Yeah. And it just keeps cutting to him. And he's like, oh, man, what the fuck is he doing? Yeah. Do you think Big Cat saw this? It was like, this is great. Yeah.

The, all right, next category, the Fortune 3 Clap Award for most giffable moment. What'd you have for this? Probably Goodman shaving his head. Did you have one? Didn't. Did a giffable movie? some sort of blackjack him losing something

or but the thing is he didn't and I think he played it intentionally this way but I just don't think Bernthal would have you didn't feel the pain of any of the losses and I think because he was trying not to have the pain I think Bernthal would have been more interesting with it Bernthal I actually just as soon as you were saying that it popped into my head is just after presumed innocent

Gillenhall oh yeah like watching him go watching like it come up red on him and just be like oh fuck yeah Denna Thieves Benihana Awards, scene stealing location. You could go Korea Town. You go the casino in the beginning. You go to the casino in the end.

Where do you want? I think I'm going to go the last casino in Korea Town as they go down all these different levels through the weird cabaret singer. Yeah. The noodle bar. It looks like an opium den and then into an internet cafe and then into the casino.

By the way, if that place actually exists, I'm going there today. DM me. Yeah. Would it be weird if I took out $100,000 in cash? Maybe that's where we should do our first gambling stream. Right. The Michael McDonald's Sweet Freedom Award for Best Needle Drop or the Kid Cutty. Yeah?

Yeah. What did you have? The choir singing creep as he's kind of breaking up with Brilarson is good. The only problem I had with that was Fincher used that in the trailer for Social Network. Yeah, yeah. So I felt like it was stolen valor. It's like you guys are coming in after he's already made that iconic. Closing credits on. song is solid, too. Is that the one you're talking about?

No, Common People is the one that Brie Larson's listening to when she's walking around campus, the Pulp song. Yeah, yeah. Big Kahuna Burger Award for best use of food or drink. Nobody eats or really drinks in this movie. I guess the cereal. When did you cut cereal out of your every day?

You know, there was that first wave of how bad cereal was for you articles, and I still hold on for another seven to ten years. I still had Cheerios in the house. My wife still gets it. Like, she'll do like some fiber stuff or some healthier stuff. So occasionally I'll

just kind of lose it. Like almost like smoking Marlboro Reds again. I feel like if you're going to do it now, you might as well just go back to like honey nut. You know what I mean? You might as well just have the 40 grams of sugar and say who gives this shit because it's like I don't really want to eat a bunch of like thumbtacks, but I'll

if somebody put frosted mini weeds in front of me, I would probably go after it. What was your number one cereal? For like for a treat? Just in general. For life. I just do it Cheerios. I really loved Rice, Krispies. Yeah. I liked hearing

them crackle. I really love frosted mini weeds for a long time. It was another favorite. I liked when they would get soggy in the bottom. I can't tell you

what a giant cereal guy was in the 90s. I would just have it for dinner. I mean, Golden Grams is one of the all time greatest tastes of my life. I still eat cereal all the time, big cereal guy.

I love cereal. Do you eat healthy cereal or just regular cereal? I've pivoted to healthy cereal. Do you think it really matters? I honestly just like having any kind of corn flake in milk tossing a banana.

It's good. So also, this is one thing that is really underrated is that cereal is the perfect, like, I have to go somewhere. Like, let's say you're going to a movie at 7. You're not going to get dinner. You get a quick bowl of cereal before you go. It's in between a snack and a meal. Yeah.

It actually does tide you over. And also, like, you know, people ate it for a hundred years. I just basically ate cereal and then occasionally half some of go out and eat. But I weighed 160 pounds at one point. In a good way or a bad way. I was playing basketball, like five, six days a week and just, eating cereal. Yeah.

And then occasionally we'd go to like Papaginos and get all you eat pizza. My body was like, what's going on? What are you doing to me? I love cereal though.

I might make a cereal come back over the break. I think we should do it. Maybe we should document it somehow. I will say one thing. I'm not a huge like getting douchey about almond milk, soy milk,

all that stuff. But I do think almond milk's pretty good with cornflakes. Yeah. It's about as tolerable as it gets with almond milk. You want to go slightly healthier. I think that if I was going to do it, I would go back full whole milk in a bowl.

That's what I do, baby. Yeah. Which is your favorite kind of cereal bowl? Deep. Because I like the deep high ones. Yeah. Yeah. I like to dig in.

I like when the cereal gets kind of soggy in the bottom. In college, in Boston, I lived off Kraft mac and cheese and cereal, pretty much. That was basically. Look where we are. 99 because they have like the $9 $9 chicken parmesan. I'm going chicken parm tonight. This went longer than what's aged the best.

Cereo's great. Should we do a cereal podcast? Yeah, we could probably get a good video sponsorship. I bet that would do very well. It's like new podcast from the ringer. The cereal podcast. I think what we would have to do is do like a Huberman pod where you and I go on a pure cereal diet

and see how it affects us. Here's the thing about cereal. It's the most involved in people's life, but the least disgust. Everyone has like favorite, least favorite cereals. It's never talked about. Nobody would ever bring this up at dinner. John Hamm says this about crude oil and land man. This is the one thing.

But the other thing with cereal is like people of all ages eat cereal. Like your kids turn like three, they're eating cereal. This is like this is the one time where I've let the hive mind tell me what to do, where I've let group think everybody's just like this shit is so bad for you. I'm like, I guess it's bad for me. I guess I won't. I mean, yeah, you can't eat a bowl of Captain Crunch anymore. You'll, like, really...

No, there's certain cereals. But, like, I should be eating Cheerios. There's certain serios that are bad, though. Like, like, fruit loops stuff with, like, the dye in them, that, like, that's proven. And, by the way, I fucking love fruit loops. Do you think Rupert Wyatt's listening to this? And it's just like, fuck, I can't believe my work is finally being recognized. And then we go on a 10-minute fucking cereal.

Did you like fruity bubbles? I was never a big tricks for, Pebbles guy. Were you a cereal mixer? Because that was another thing I used to do. I used to suicide a little bit. Because if you get the little boxes and you go Lucky Charms and Apple Jacks and just

like, who gives you shit. I loved Apple Jacks are still okay, right? No. They're really sugary, but they're great. It tastes amazing. Cereal's so good. Jack, has your generation abandoned cereal? Hell no.

Honestly, people should just have it for dessert. It's starting your day with it is the problem, but just have it as a dessert. That's what I've done a few times. I go on binges, and now, unfortunately, I'm going to go on another one with cereal. Anyway, that was the Big Gohunter Burger Award for best use of food or drink. The Butch's Girlfriend Award Week, Link of the film. I like Jessica Lang before you say it.

I think it is a choice what she's doing, but I think what she has to say in the film is quite effective. Oh, I really like her in this movie. Okay, good, just making sure. I don't know why Brie Larson's character would like Jim. I think that that's a huge question. I just can't figure it out. First scene in the movie, she sees him,

fucking, I'm the self-destructive bender. Yeah. He's a terrible professor. Well, you're supposed to inspire students, and he's like, you guys all fucking suck.

You have no chance. So in the script, which I read, there is another character in the movie, it was supposed to be played by Leland Orser, and he's cut out.

But he's like his adversary at school, and he's basically, like, you're a fucking genius professor. Like, I hate you. but you are like the best of us. Oh, it's one of those.

Yeah. You used to be the best what happened. But I think maybe we're catching Jim at a little bit of a low point in his professorial career. Like I think he's supposed to be like inspiring to these people. Why is a 20-year-old bookworm at USC working at like an underground gambling ring as a waitress? Because I think they really... The tips must be incredible. But how did she even find that job?

She's a book. Like I feel like that. She's not exploring the job space. Yeah, she sits in the middle of class, but she's also like this. legal blackjack cocktail waitress. And they never go back to it. She has no opinions on gambling. In the research, they decided they just really like the Brie Larson character and they were just looking for things to shoehorn or into.

They beefed up a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I have no idea why she likes them. It makes no sense. And there's got to be two scenes of them where they talk about cereal that's just got taken out of the final. Yeah.

I just think that this is a two-week relationship. This goes hot and heavy. and then the second Wednesday that he's still like moaning about how he's not Dostoevsky, she's like, I got to try something else here. Do you believe in the students getting involved with the professor as a Hollywood thing

or a thing that happens in real life? I think that it did happen for a very long time. I mean, there are a lot of novels about a professor who gets really horny for his student. That is like the bedrock of Philip Roth's career, right? We had one in college. A friend of mine got involved with the professor. When she told me, I was like, it was like, you could have told me.

A TA or like an actual, like, graying professor? No, it was a professor. Was he an English teacher? Not going to give any more info than that. But I was, like, so blown away. I was like, and you're in his class? Like, I just, I couldn't believe it. I feel like it happens less now.

Yeah. Well, I would hope so. Yeah. this is probably I have this as what she is the worst but like this is like getting involved with your professor

it's kind of wild to watch this movie and be like oh wow like Brie Larson's probably 21 in this movie and he's supposed to be 40 is a degenerate fucking maniac gambler

40 year old just getting involved with his T's yeah the movie ending with him running for nine miles to a 20 year old's dorm yeah

it's diff yeah anyway that was a weak link For me, what do you have, CR? Weeklink, I thought, would just be the fact that there's just not very sophisticated gambling going on. So, like, I think that when you, you don't get enough gambling movies that we can get a gambling

movie where there's just no real skill or, like, strategy deployed, that it's just, like, stacking and it's just destruction. That being said, it is a very, like, entertaining thing to watch to see this guy do this. Can I make a suggestion? You know how I was talking the rewatchables? and we've done almost 370 movies at this point about how I can't believe anyone making a sports movie

wouldn't just call. Maybe do we have to start a sports movie consultancy, whatever. I have... I also think I should be gambling consultant for this because I would have told them scrap the blackjack, go right to craps,

much more fun as for movies in a vagusing. Just craps, there's more going on, there's more people, there's dice, there's things thrown in the air, there's guys pulling in, you can bet on all these different things.

I just think it works better. It's also like, Walberg lives in Nevada now. Like, I assume he gambles, right? Right. But I actually is so generic. And they use, like, these big square things. I don't know.

The Mallory Rubin Award for, did this movie need a better sex scene? Probably not. Probably because it would have been sex between. She's like 20. She jumps them. Yeah. But they don't show it.

Yeah. We'll never know Mallor's thoughts. I don't think Maler's seen this. What stage the worst? other than stuff we've mentioned. I wrote down Walberg's hair. Looks like he's a 1974 right wing in the Flyers. He's like Rick Tocket.

He's on Dave Schultz's line. Like, what hell is this haircut? I assume this was like he had come off another movie or was going on to another. And it just looks like he's got like 18 wraparound hair, like strands. It's this. There's like stuff in the back. It's just really strange. the guy who plays Dexter

Emery Cohen I wrote down he's like David Arquette after a stroke Do you know who he is He was just in Rebel Ridge That's the same Emery Cone Why did he play this part of Dexter like this

This is right after Or right around Place Beyond the Pines I think And he was like a hot young actor She's going for it Yeah he's awesome I love I like it You don't like it

I don't Okay He reminds me of Timothy Hutton's brother played by David Arquette and beautiful girls I say hey you think you'd be here for a while I'm gonna go take a shit I have two big ones

he would definitely be the coolest weirdest number two player in the country of all in tennis history tennis players are super boring just in general yeah but no tennis player has even half as much weird personality speaking of tennis what's age the worst

Jessica Lang's tennis just abysmal I don't like her outfit. They have to do the close cuts of her because she's doing a serve. She's serving like this. Like there's just nothing going on there. Would have gone to golf maybe for that scene.

Oh, but that would take out Dexter being her tennis instructor, which I thought was another sort of awkward thing. Maybe play doubles with him. Sure. I'd try to hide the tennis more. It just wasn't good enough. But like, well, now she's playing pickleball,

pickleball, right? Yeah, or Padell. Yeah. Is that what it's called? Paddle? What are you talking about? I don't even know. P-A-D-L.

Did they try to make pickleball sound more? Peter Schrager's always trying to get me to get excited about paddle. Is that a different game or is that pickleball? I thought it was pickleball. No, it's like the kind of more tolerable pickleball. Oh, is it like squash versus racquetball version? What kind of ball do you use? It's more like, it's basically paddle tennis, but now it's got a rebrand.

And paddle tennis is kind of fun. Pickle ball should be shot into the sun, and everybody who plays it should have to atone for their sins when they die. What's age the worst? Broke college players pre-N-I-L. Now Lamar is just getting Chick-fil-A sponsorship. The collective has come through for Lamar. Also,

hard to imagine sports science being what it is that he can hide whatever's going on with his knee. Yeah, this is like a 1982 plot. Also, like, we'd just be like, just get surgery. You're a junior. Yeah. I had that as well.

I think if he was this good, to come out as a sophomore. I agree. Why is he in college for three years? Get the fuck out of there, Lamar. Go make some cash. Maybe he loved the works of Albert Camus. Maybe.

The teachings of Jim Bennett. Ruffalo Han and Rubidock Partridge overacting award. They knew, and they let it happen. Don't you call me, lady! I come in here. I give these things to you. Give it all you got!

Listen. Give it all you got! I treated you like a son. You fucking stab me in the heart. Fuck you! Professor Walberg dialing it up The Shakespeare speech

Awesome Really trying hard Going Oscar clip on it Playing outside of the bank being like Do I embarrass you? Yeah yeah She's in there too Was there a better title for this movie now

The Can You Digget Award For Most Memorable Quote A Wise Man's Life is based around Fuck you Yeah The uh Do you agree with this philosophy This

You get a house for the 25 year roof Indestructible Japanese economy Shipbox and you put the rest in the system at 3 to 5% to pay your taxes, and that's your base. That's what I've been telling you for six years. I just keep playing blackjack with it. That's why it's to work for you.

I need the money. The CR thinks Luke Wilson could have been Harrison for it. How to take a word? I got one. Yep. Is this movie more interesting if the central relationship is just Jim and Lamar? We don't have Brie Larson at all. out. She's gone.

Like, do the new cut. If you take Brie Larson and just edit her out of the movie with all due respect. Why would we do that? I love Brie Larson. Because the Lamar relationship is almost more unique and interesting.

So two more Lamar scenes. Yeah. And the ethics of whether or not he can ask Lamar to do this and why Lamar is doing it, what's Lamar's deal? What does Lamar think of Shakespeare? It's interesting idea.

So Lamar is just basically blown up into a much bigger character. Yeah, you basically have like a lottery pick to be. And a self-destructive professor is like the kind of central relationship. You kind of, Brie Larson's scenes are not integral to the story. And it becomes an Adam Sandler.

No, I mean, you came to the same movie. With the Safty brothers. Yeah. And then Lamar and then Lamar got shot at the end. Yeah. Yeah.

Interesting. My, my hottest take. I don't know what Wahlberg's legacy is going to be as an actor. But he has worked with, I think, the best collection, of very attractive actresses

at the perfect times of their career. I'm just going to go through a list. And I'm not really counting Reese Witherspoon and Fair because that was a little early for her, but he did catch the Reese Witherspoon train pretty early. Heather Grand Boogie Nights, Diane Lane Perfect Storm,

Charlize the Italian job, Elizabeth Banks Invincible, Kate Mara, Grant Land Hero and Shooter. Yeah. Your girl Amy Adams in the fighter. My girl.

Mila Coonis and Ted and Brie Larson and the Gambler and that's all within 20 years. Craig, it's impressive. Great work by him. Like really, really good taste. Ronda Rousey and Mile 22? I didn't have her in there. Who do you think he had the best chemistry with? Because I think it might be Bree,

even though I've just made the case for cutting her out of the phone. It's good in pre, but I mean, Charlize in the Italian job. Okay. I actually had to replace a plasma TV because she'd burn out the bulb. She was so crazy hot in that movie. Did we do Vincent Chase? No, but we can.

May I ask you something? Yeah. Would bookies be this permissive? No. It's a lot of money. There's a cap on this, right? Yeah. Like these guys all know what he's doing.

And it seems like, obviously for the story, it makes it really interesting to give him seven days. It's got like the countdown element to it. With juice. but like why would you give this guy $240,000? Like, is it just because they think they can then go after his mother

and take her house like and liquidate his... Movie trope. Yeah. It's too much money. It's like probably like 25K would be a lot. So I'm with you.

Okay. We'll take a break and then we're in doing casting one ofs. 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 a dollar 50

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casting what ifs. Paramount got the rights in 2011 and it was supposed to be Scorsese and Leo and Moynihan or Anahan as they call it the CR Dream Team. The departed trio, yeah. Yeah.

And Scorsese dropped out. Todd Phillips in there for a second. Known to gamble from time to time. Is he? In a pretty famous game in L.A. Oh. Yeah. And he dropped out

and then Walberg and Wyatt came in. Okay. Not a lot of casting stuff for this. No. Well, this is the problem is we haven't had enough time since the movie was made for the internet to make up stuff. It's like Ben Affleck was in there. This would be an interesting Affleck role.

I'm sure he was a little older. No, he was at the right time of his movie. In 14, he was at the right age, right? He's a couple years older than Walberg, right? They're around the same age. Yeah. Best that guy award. It's got to be Dom from Entourage.

It is. I kind of think of him as Dominic Lombardoz. So I was going to ask you, could we throw this to Marcus Johnson as the color guy during the basketball game? Oh, that's interesting. So you think he's Dominic Lombardozi now? To me, he is.

What do you think, Craig? None of these guys are ever Dominic Led Mardosier to me. Yeah, I don't think people... I think to us he's that, but I think most people are like, hey, it's Dom from Entourage. Oh, the guy for the wire. This guy is quite an IMDB, by the way.

Lombardozie? Yeah, because you know what else he was in. You know. Miami Vice. Yeah. He's one of the cops, right? Yeah. Yeah.

So he played that crazy Vince's cousin character or friend, whoever. What was he, Vince's friend? Or he was... On Entourage? He was his buddy. He had like a three episode on Arcan Enthrasch. Yeah. He was Detective Stan Switech on my...

Miami Vice. He was also in For Love of the Game as the tow truck driver. He's been in a lot of rewatchables kind of secretly. Yeah. He was in maybe not that many.

I like that guy. He was in the Irishman. Yeah. He was in Bridges Spies. Gambler. Yeah. Public enemies. He's worked with Mann a couple of times.

He was in SWAT. Dionne Waiters. John Goodman is the winner. Yeah. Michael K. Williams is a in it too much, I think. Yeah, he's got like five, six scenes.

Shout out to Omega Watch guy. The guy who was trying to buy his Omega Watch. Yeah. Recasting couch director of City, I already had Bernthal as Walberg. This is the Bernthal part I've wanted for seven years. I think this is what American Gigolo was supposed

to be for him. Never got that. Yeah. You have anything for this? For this, I think it would be cool if it had been like Oscar Isaac or Ethan Hawke. Like a kind of, like a little bit more of a bookish. You like Oscar Isaac more than me.

I know. You know why I don't like Oscar Isaac for this? Because it's not like an incredible movie. And I don't know if there's... He doesn't bring unintentional comedy for me. That's a good point. Do you think Ethan Hawke would? Jalenhall certainly would.

Ethan Jalenhall, definitely. But now Jalenhael is almost shaded too far toward the... And I don't even know if he's being unintentionally funny. I don't... I think he might think that like if you were like, can you lose some weight for this part? He'd come back looking like the guy in Nightcrawler. Right.

And you'd be like, well, this isn't really effective. He's like, Walberg lost 50 pounds. I'm going to lose 80. Romo Collinsworth or someone else for the director's commentary. I see you, Mr. Allen. You're getting to your spots, making your shots, and keeping the score strangely within the spread. You may have degenerative cartilage damage,

but your mid-range game is strong. We salute you, sir. I should know that was coming. Just because he took the North Carolina job this week, I'm going to go Bill Belichick because he's not doing media anymore. No, he is.

You see he's going to do back if he's still? That won't last. Okay. I don't see that happen. Yeah, Jim's got to do better with Blackjack. He's, you know,

when you're stacking bets like that, you got to cash some of the chips and put them in your pocket because eventually the odds of winning seven, eight straight bets. You're just not going to win eight straight bets.

You're just not going to, nobody's that good. But we're on to Morongo. Nobody's that good at all. Half Fast Center research. This was George Kennedy's last movie. Tough last movie for George. He just looks brutal.

Here's one. Each day in the movie, Jim's shirt color gets lighter. Starts all black and starts getting lighter, and then by the end it's white. And when he's finally free. Yeah. See, a lot of deep shit going on in this movie.

Craig, how many pounds do you think Mark Wahlberg lost in this movie? He's pretty thin in this movie. I bet you he lost... No, 40? He lost 61 pounds. Whoa, CR. He went from 198 pounds to 137 pounds. Liquid food, vegetables, a workout of strictly cardio.

And he wanted to be 137 because the thinnest he'd ever been for a movie was boogie nights at 138. And he wanted to be one pound lighter. And he said he would never, ever do this again. He doesn't even look that bad. When he's shirtless, he doesn't look like that emaciated to me. It's like kind of heroin chic. Yeah. Basketball Diaries era.

also you mentioned this earlier but he sat in on college courses around different colleges and analyzed professors in their mannerisms. Can you imagine like you're going to fucking the modern novel and Walberg sitting there?

She's like, don't mind me. You don't have to fucking look at me. Look at him. He's teaching. Say, how do you mother for me? Can you imagine like you're like a loyal

of Merrimount polysy professor and like Walberg's coming your class for a week and you're so excited for the gambor to see how Walberg and that's how it's representing. It's like, oh my God, is that what he saw?

And then he wins out 22 black at the end. So in the sting, Redford bets on the roulette wheel, and it lands on 22 black. Oh, that's cool. I don't know if that was intentional. I'm sure it was. Monaghan, they pretty much shot Monaghan's script. Yeah.

There's scenes excised, but there's nothing really, like, fundamentally changed about it. Apex Mountain, Walberg, no. Lang no. Bree Larson, no Not blackjack, right? On screen. No. What's the best blackjack movie? Serial?

Well, that's an interesting point. They never really, like, show us what the cereal is. It looks like he's eating, like, crackling oak bran or something. Are we going back to cereal now? I had it written down at Epic Mountain. This is Apex Mountain for serial conversations, I think, this podcast. Cereal, gambling, no. Michael K. Williams, no.

Shaving points in a movie? Blue chips. Omega watches? In film. Watching basketball indoors with sunglasses on? Definitely. Yeah. Definitely. We finally got one.

You asked Best Blackjack scene. I really have to think about that and maybe come back. I don't know. I don't want to just give that answer just quickly. This might be actually Apex Mountain for cocktail waitresses and movies. Because between Brie Larson and the woman at the horse track when he's like, she's like this this this this kid's like the grandson of the 16th richest man in California and she's like does he drink

so I'd be with you on that but what about swingers oh yeah that's true Dorothy yeah that's true um best blackjack scene in a movie well there's there's rain man right it's probably rain man casino royale they're playing poker yeah I'd have to think I'll have an answer in a later pot

I really want to research this because I don't want to leave anything Open guess the lines with Rain Man is the best. Hangover do they actually play that much? Hangover, they do it. But they're just making fun of Rain Man. Yeah. They play poker in California split, right?

All right, I just Googled this. 21 was a movie built around Black Jack. Oh, yeah, that's right. I didn't really like that movie that much so. And then, man, really not a lot of great black. I'm sure there is. Maybe the listeners will have one. Yeah, I think it's mostly poker

because poker actually takes strategy and skill in the hands have arcs to them, whereas Blackjack's just like, oh, fuck. Maybe somebody someday will make the movie about my Blackjack career where eventually all my friends leave and it's three in the morning

and they're vacuuming under my feet. And then Jacob comes back. Yeah, Jacob is like, how are you still awake? Yeah. Cruise or Hanks? This is easily a cruise to me. Easily.

This is the easiest cruise in a while and it made me think like this actually would have been an incredible incredible cruise movie. What year, though? What year of Cruz? After like 90. 2002?

Like the firm era. Oh, I'm thinking younger. Yeah. How old do you want him to be? Like 35? Is that too? So how old is he? So maybe right after Jerry McGuire?

Yes. Vanilla Sky Cruz? Right around nine. Yes. I think you're right. Decided. Cruz needed it. So he's now he's three back.

Yep, 19 to 16. Has Cruz ever been a professor? I would love to see Cruz molding young minds. I mean, he does that. He teaches film to all of us. He's been a student and cocktail. Yeah.

He's been a lawyer, but he's never been a teacher, right? Cruz's doing the first professor. Oh, he's a teacher in Top Gun Maverick. Oh, yeah, he is. He's an instructor. Yeah. Racehorse, rock band, wrestler, or fantasy team name. I'll give you Lamar's point shavers or king of spades.

I had Mr. Lees. Oh, I like that. Yeah. Pick a Knits. got a few. I mean, Lamar needs his senior year to boost his draft stock.

What is this? 1974? Right. What was the last year? Anyone said those words with college basketball? He's his second round. Again, the sports consultants

right here. Yeah. Come on. Wahlberg gets the shit beaten out of him I think three times more severely than his actual injuries. The Korean nail place

where he gets fucking drop kicked. Multiple broken ribs. Yeah. Concussion. I think he has a broken orbital bone at one's point. Definitely maybe a hairline fracture of the skull. Yeah. Concussion.

He's fine. You're absolutely right. What else did you have? Well, crucial sports czar error is that Neville says Lamar is playing Michigan. And then when they actually get to the game, the team he's playing against is the Bulldogs, which is not Michigan Wolverines. and it's also in conference. It's the conference semifinal.

Oh, I didn't even notice. I mean, now USC and Michigan are in the Big Ten together, but in 2014, this wasn't happening. Great one. How does Jim know that Amy is this genius? Like, how many pieces has he read by her that he's like, she is the one person

in this generation who's actually talented? I don't know. Because it's a lit class. So how much, like, is he just reading her, like, essays and stuff? Yeah, we need a scene where he. He's at his desk reading the paper. The only other thing is that Frank doesn't really live by his teachings

because if you're in a position of fuck you, why are you also a lone shark? That seems like an unnecessary. Why are you helping people who aren't going to pay you back? My two big ones. So they just give Lamar, they're going to fix the game. Hey, we put a big giant bag of cash in your locker. It's not suspicious at all.

It's a giant big gym bag, right in the locker. Since we're talking about the basketball game, can I do two of my unanswerable questions that are also nip-pics? What was Jim's bet? Oh, I have all this later. Okay. Yeah, all right. I'll do it in unanswerable. All right.

What's the other question? What would happen if Danny Hurley had been coaching that team? God damn! There's no way Lamar gets back in the game. Jesus fucking Christ! Saking to his knees. He's fucking crying because Lamar missed a mid-race jumper. Didn't run horns properly.

The giant bag of cash in the locker is ludicrous. Should I make Danny Hurley, the new wing Jenkins? I'll throw them in there. You had to commit to it, though, and fall to the ground. End at Labar's game. So they're up seven. It's like five, seven. Then they have the ball near the end.

The other team's not fouling, and they're also not dribbling out the clock. Yeah. It's idiotic. Yeah, he's going early possession shoot shots. when all you have to do is, like, choke the game out. Also, like, sports consultant yet again. Can't believe I'm not hired for these.

The move should have been they foul Lamar with, like, three seconds left up seven, and he goes to the line, and you don't know whether he's going to make it or not. And he's shooting the free throw, and then it cuts to Michael K. Williams celebrating. Instead, it was like, oh, he's just going to shoot up seven with one second left?

Like, what the fuck is this? It never happened. Why is it that when Lamar's practicing on his own, he's like playing in the gym that Zoe used to play middle school basketball. It's supposed to be at USC. It's supposed to be like a giant gym. Sequel, prequel, prestige TV,

all black cast are untouchable. There's a prestige TV case for this movie. Yeah, I mean, I would love a big ideas. A show about Los Angeles's underground gambling culture and bookies, but like a professor, it's awesome. Starring David Chang. It sounds unbelievable.

When John Goodman shows up at Major Dome. and he's like, I will fucking take this place over. I am not here for the BS fries. Is this movie better with Wayne Jenkins, Danny Treo, Danny Hurley, Sid Goldberg, Sam Jackson, J.T. Walsh, Nell, Baron Mayo, Harling Maye's, Evil Laughing Ramon Raymond, long legs of Philip Baker Hall. Should we get rid of a couple of these before the end of the year? Let's do a little bit of accounting here. Let's do an audit.

Who is never one? The Sid Goldberg, maybe we had a nice run with Sid. Nobody, we have never done Raymond Ramon. Yeah, all right, I'll get rid of him. It's fair. I like it, but it's just like, we've never done that. I think... J.T. Walsh, I guess we could get rid of.

Sorry, J.T. Sid Goldberg, we could probably get rid of. He's pre-obscured. Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trails, Sam Jackson, Mel, Byron, Mayo, Harley, or Harley-Lead-Baker-Haw. Or Danny Hurley. Or Danny Hurley. For any sports movies

Jesus fucking Christ Jim! What fuck are we doing? Are you hitting on 18? That's a pretty obscure cut for people. We don't follow Yukon's Maui invitational press conferences. We need somebody else at the ringer

to hold you back from the microphone as you're screaming. I would say Sam Jackson in this movie wouldn't have been a bad thing. Sam Jackson is Neville and Sam Jackson and Goodman in the same movie would have been awesome. I'm trying to think what Sam Jackson

And could he have been like, how do we work him in? He could be, Andre Brower is in one scene in this movie as the dean. Yeah, that was another one. Like, why do we have Andre Brower for one scene? There's more Dean stuff in the script, I think.

Yeah. Yeah. Just one Oscar who gets it, Goodman. All right, I have some really good and answerable questions. So Jim wrote a book called Up Hill Both Ways that they show the cover of. What was this book about? Book of fiction?

Uphill both ways. What does that even mean? I wonder whether it's like tries, it's like supposed to be like a demon copperhead like working class tale but it just didn't ring true because it wasn't really like

what his experience was. Well, you don't think it was like an adult catcher in the rye? I mean, that's what he is, right? Yeah. As long as I wonder, would you read a book called Uphill Both Ways? I would never read any book like that, ever. No.

The answer is no. Is 2.5 million really fuck you money? Because... In 2014. Because John Goodman really felt committed to that specific figure. It wasn't two, it wasn't three. I was like, I've been up two and a half million. So John Goodman just decides that's a great number.

I'm good with that. Okay. How many miles does he jog at the end? Because it seems like he goes from Korea Town... I don't think it's that far. All the way to the Arts District? No, I think she lives in... it's the low what is it like the los altos apartments i don't know if that's real yeah that's what they're called

i think but those actually exist los altos apartments it's on wilshur oh wilshare and what um it's on wilshire and bronson yeah like wilshire and wilton so it's actually not that far of a run that's like a fucking one mile run what are they doing at some At one point he's in downtown L.A. for some reason. Yeah, I know. I know. So did he run all the way down here and then run back? I think they say it's Koreatown and he actually starts down by like Grand Street or something. Or maybe he's in...

But they say Koreatown though, right? Well, maybe he's so fucking hungry because he's just been eating cereal the entire time that he runs down into downtown by accident. Is it possibly in Chinatown? No, they said it's Korea Town. They're like, come to the Koreatown spot. To Los Altos. That's like a mile. Yeah. Like you said, a very exciting mile. Jesus.

I feel completely disillusioned by this. All right. I figured out exactly how much money Jim owed. You ready? Yeah. He had the Korean $200,000. Mm-hmm. He owed Michael K-60K.

He got 260K from Frank with 10% juice. And he got 100K from the Korean with 10% juice. And he had to pay Lamar 150K before the game, which gave him 210K left. Then he gives... But he owed... He owed $3.10, $286, and $60. So he owed $656,000, and he had $210 left,

which you bet on the basketball game. He also gives Dexter $50,000. I haven't gotten that yet. He wins on the basketball game, bets $210 to win $200 on the basketball game. So now he's got $4.10. So he pays the $60K to Michael Kay. He's got $350 left,

but he owed $5.96. to the two bad guys. Offers 50K to Dexter doesn't take it. So he still has the 350. Also, Dexter being like, I'm going to go pro in tennis and I'm going to be making 50 kids.

Come on. Terrible character. Bet's 350 on black and wins. So now he is 700. Everyone gets paid and then some, which is why Goodman at the end says, I got an extra 100 for you. Oh, right.

It's the cream on top. Right. So he actually won more money than he owed, which I think is very stealth in the movie, but it's what happened. He just wants to be free. Yeah. So he gives those guys the extra,

and then Goodman gets it. And that, I think, is how the money shook out. Okay, so what was that Michigan game, the Lamar game, paying out then? So he paid Lamar 150, and his cut was probably 150, which is, I would say they probably got 30, to 35% of the cut.

So maybe those guys each won 500K, something like that. Because if you're getting paid out for... It's a big enough bet that Neville knows about it after the fact, where he's like, I heard somebody showed up in Vegas

and like smash the money line or whatever it was. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Best double feature choice. Two for the money or the original gambler?

Original gambler. Yeah. Which first or second? No, about the Jimmy Con movie. I know, but would you watch it first or second? I would watch this second as like a palate cleanser because the Jimmy Con movie is very like, very serious.

The Indian Reds-Owant-Air Award for what happened the next day. So Jim gets... I just wrote down Jim Get Dump. I had Jim gets canceled. What's the fucking social media is it gets a hold of gym? It's like, this guy slept with a student and... And fixed a game? ...shaven, like, conference game?

and then also he gets driven insane when Amy writes like a Sally Rooney novel and becomes usually famous and he's... I don't even think they make it that long. Yeah.

What piece of memorabilia would you want from this movie? I could offer you the sunglasses? I could offer you the duffel bag that held the 50K? That's a nice bag. Jessica Lang's tennis racket? Can I get Jim's like

Topanga Canyon House or Beachwood King? It's a pretty cool house. I like that. Is it Laurel? Like, where's he living? It feels like a little beachwittish. You don't want uphill both ways?

Oh, that's true. I want uphill both ways. The actual book of uphill both ways. Yeah, that's great. I love that it's being featured in the hallway of the English department. Coach Finstack were a best life lesson. Always be in a fuck you position. Oh, I actually said you owe somebody money.

Don't fuck around. Okay. Who won the movie? I'm going to say Monaghan, the screenwriter, just because this is like unvarnished his thing. I think that a lot of like the characters are speaking from his POV

these are his like riffs on society and existence and I think it's more or less a vehicle for like his his kind of musing so I'm gonna go William Monaghan I like that you go Goodman yeah I think I am

because it's I love Goodman part isn't that good if it's like movie falls apart yeah if it's like Donofrio or acting

yeah somebody trying too hard all right Craig had never seen this movie. It did come out in the last 10 years, which is a bonus. What were your thoughts? Yeah, I had never heard of it.

I don't know if that... Is that surprising to you that I've never heard of this? No, I think that there's a lot of probably a mid-10s movie that fall into obscurity before you start, like, watching stuff. Yeah. As usual, I like this movie more after hearing you guys talk about it for 90 minutes. But it's more memorable.

It will be more memorable than it deserves to be, I think, for me. It's kind of the Jordan Pool. of movies, but parentheses complimentary. Because, like, the movie puts up 34, but a very inefficient 34. 12 for 28, 34 points, but, like, a couple incredible threes. Gets punched once. Absolutely, like, backbreaking turnovers. Yeah, right.

But there are moments. Like, the highlights are great. And, yeah, I mean, I don't know. I think that there are misses in this movie, but ultimately what I like is that there are five really good actors, kind of just playing dress up and going for it. and ultimately I respect that and I think I see less and less of that nowadays I'm watching Mark Wahlberg

Goodman, Michael Kay Brie Larson, all these people being like yeah we're gonna try to win an Oscar and we're gonna really go for it and kind of an overwritten gambling movie Yeah It's just fun to see them all collectively agreeing to do it There used to be like a Howard Hawks saying

about like how many good scenes a movie needed for the movie to be good This has enough to make me watch it You know what I mean? Like I think that you need five to ever... I also think that I think five years from now, you're going to be like, I really like this movie. I think so, too.

I think the movie to me hinges. It became unintentionally funny when his big speech as a professor in the classroom. Like, he wanted that to, like, in his head, that's like the Lydia Tar scene. Yeah. But it doesn't play. And I think after that, you're like, okay, this is now a different movie in my head. Yeah. Still very memorable.

I think he obviously did a lot of research. I've made this joke before when talking about this, but like he's almost like he's reading phonetically. Yes. Like, I don't know that he knows. what he's saying in that scene as an actor. Whereas like Bernthal would have crushed it. Yeah, or...

Or Ruffalo would have been really good. He's so slick with it. I almost don't even know what he's saying because he's running through it so fast like he's memorized it and he's trying to get through it. He's emphasizing weird parts of the speech. Yeah. It's like when we found out

that the Lady Colin Farrell hooks up with the Miami Vice didn't speak English and memorized all the phonetic sounds of her dialogue. It was like, oh, okay. Maybe that's what Mark Wahlberg did. possibly that's a good point all right

that's that review didn't surprise me at all because I didn't really like this movie that much the first time I saw it but it kept my interest and made me more mad than I did and now 10 years later I've arrived at a great place this is just a really good like Sunday afternoon there's nothing to watch the 4 o'clock NFL games suck just throw this on you won't be sorry

I'll tell you another thing about this movie people are watching it are they it's it's always on in the showtime bundle if you're flicking the cable guy. Yeah, it's on Paramount Plus. It's on Paramount. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, it's, I think it's out there. It reminds me of what happened with Focus, which was another movie that I don't think that. We did that on the rewatch of this too, but that was another one that it was like, I think I like that, but it had some flaws. The truth is that you and I are very easy dates if it's about sports or gambling.

Yeah, or the criminal underbelly. Or the criminal underbelly of either. I think Focus exploded on streaming in the last year. Because it, Margo Robin. Yeah, yeah. And Will Smith, because he punched Chris Rock. CR, a pleasure as always. Craig and Jack, thank you for producing.

You can watch this on the Ringer Movies YouTube channel as well, and we will see you. And subscribe to Ringer Serial, if you haven't gotten a chance yet. Ringer Serial, Ringer TV, Ringer Movies. Yeah, 10 years ago, what really started podcasting was Serial, the podcast, and now it's a new one. Just spelled a little differently. And we have an actual Christmas movie next week. That's right. Yeah, very excited about that.

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