The Way Back with Alex Ross Perry

In 2023, four men walked into the Blink Check offices to record a podcast.

“They had survived a three-hour and 28-minute record on Fight Club.”

This episode is dedicated to them. So, is this a tagline? No, this is the title card that opens the phone. Okay, okay. You didn't want to do the tagline I found?

Uh, I can do that as well. I think it sucks. Yeah, go ahead. Their podcast was just the beginning. Indeed.

Their escape was just the beginning. But how about this tagline? Every loss is another fight. Every loss is another podcast. Every podcast is another fight.

Yeah, I mean, that's sort of--

That's one battle after another.

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? That's the tagline for the film The Way Back. Oh, sure. The Way Back.

I was going to step down. I was going to make-- Okay, so what was your good thing? I was going to say it's really weird that Peter, we were came out of retirement to make this high school basketball movie.

It wouldn't be that weird of him. Sounds like a good movie. My bit was going to be-- It's weird that Peter, we were made this like 80s throwback water park movie. Okay, right.

“So that's what I was about to do the of my other tagline.”

So I had a two-stage bit which was going to be one. Just let's get this out of the way. We all agree this has been athletics best performance, right? Could you do that? Then I was going to pretend I had watched the wrong movie.

Then I was going to say, no, of course, I'm joking. It is surprising that Peter, we were came out of retirement to make an 80s water park movie though. Well, or I mean, you could say we're talking about the way way back at this point. Right. That's a different film.

But like-- Not as sequel to this movie. Right. But you could argue, like, yeah, it's funny. I did not anticipate the sequel being about, you know, you got it.

They came out pretty close together. Did they not? The way way back is 2013 and it's got a great tagline. I really want you to hear it. I can't wait to hear it.

My ears are open. We've all been there. It's just like hell. Yeah, but just walking into the theater. Just like collapsing into a coma, reading that title.

Yeah, brother. I remember. We've all been there. I remember seeing the way way back. Which is sitting in the back of a car.

Okay. Read the cast of the way way back. I'm about, like, Alex, sometimes you and I are just-- I was like, I have to read this cast aloud. Steve Kuro, Tony Colette.

Rooster himself. Because that is the show. The new show. We just-- We just completed rewatching the Pacific.

And every time we started an episode, there was an ad for Rooster. And I became every time I would go. Oh, it's Rooster. I've been aged.

I've been aged. I've been aged. HP, I'm axing and it feels like they drop a rooster at every mid sentence every line of die. The utter sickness of Bill Lawrence, who obviously has contributed good things to our society,

but now it's just like doing doing another show and he's like, "Sure's a guy." I don't know, he's got to learn a lesson or something. Where's my money? You know, like, "Yeah, but you're for cast a really famous guy in the role." David, you're forgetting something. Tell me. A rooster is like the biggest hit show HP, I'm axed his head in like five years. It's not. They have claimed to find the night of the seven kingdoms. They said that it is their biggest

premiere. Sure, in years. Uh-huh. Biggest premiere was starting to Steve Correll set in a university or whatever. Straight by name, Dr. Fowl. Yeah. This is our biggest chicken-related, poultry-related

“drama. Just way, way back. The other thing you have to remember is it was an incredible chess”

move against having to lead the scrub's reboot. It was just right. He's nice. He's just collecting a check on the scrub's reboot. I mean, he must set. He blessed it. Yeah, he came in and threw a footballer out for a day. David, David, can't do that. Terrible news. He's stuck in an overall deal with Warner Bros. Oh no. He wishes he could run scrub's. It feels like a normal writer's room. A very flesh and blood writer's room. You know what I mean? Humans. Air brought in

and out of the lungs in that writer's room by all the participants. The people who are giving notes are people and not cybernetic partners of humans. Steve Correll, Tony Collette. Little Miss Sunshine so far. Allison, Janney. Wow. She's she's not. She's a great member of it. She wouldn't mind five that year. Okay, that's insane. That's the one she should want the Oscar for. Anna Sophia Robb. Yeah, we love her. Was she Carrie? Was she was

young Carrie? Carrie, she wrote the diaries. Sam Rockwell. He's being a jerk, right? Or

is he nice? No, he's nice. Okay, he's nice. How's Correll? Who's a jerk? Yeah, Correll first

build his weird outside of his star power. Sam Rockwell is like Bill Murray in Meatballs, where it's like this guy's too cool for school and then he takes the sad kid under his wing and he's like, I'm actually sensitive to. Cool. You know, he's the mentor. Sounds like a loser. My Rudolph. My Reoff is his wife or long-term partner. Great Robcordry. The tail end of

still are there. Amanda Pete, fun friend. Amanda Pete, rudely below Robcordry. Yeah. And then and Liam James, is that the kid? Yes. I mean, I'm dashing to the theater. We've all been there. This is a coming of age movie with only adults in it. And Liam, you're a rock. But that's true. No, I'm a shelter in it. Overwhelming amount of like, look, there's guys from gentle Sundancy comedies of other, you know, was it this giant Sundance movie? It was. It was a big purchase.

Like 20 million sale, 2 million girls kind of thing. Oh, yeah. It wasn't quite a full happy

Texas, but it was maybe a 10 in a five. Let's find out. Let's find out. Let's find out. I'm guessing it was a 10 in a five. Do you think anyone today other than people watching the skies at that time remember happy Texas? You know, a happy Texas is only remembered because of the, exactly. It's Sunday. It's not even like I feel like now people like Hamlet too. Sometimes people are like, yes, secretly a good movie. But I feel like happy Texas only

comes up in this. I don't think it's like on streaming. It feels a little lost. Happy Texas, I remember liking. It's like, think it's a good movie. And I remember my brother and I being at like the video store, Caspatina video across the stream. I brother Jamesy and I being like, what's this? And my dad's like happy Texas. That's like the most expensive Sundance by of all time it flamed out. And we were like interesting. Watched it like four years after it's a relevancy

and like the critical Tarlings podcast under the Blanchick Productions banner that I've been

executive producing. Didn't episode on train dreams and the history of like Sundance movies at the Oscars, especially as it's now like the original form of Sundance has now come to an end. And I was just eagerly typing in the notes, bring up Happy Texas. Happy Texas must be discussed.

“You must go through the process of explaining Happy Texas to Ben Fresh. It is important that”

it exists as a cultural reference point forever. We cannot let it slide into a blue. I need to correct the record on the way way back. Okay. Fox search I purchased it for $10 million. I guess 10 Sundance, which was a lot like that was a big deal. But it made $21.5 million for America. Domestically domestic. I mean, additional $5 million. It doubled the investment. So I'm more than the way back. Yes, nice snuck it. I guess because they had an extra way. So that's, but I mean, like do we agree that

if we're ranking, if we're ranking way backs, Affleck I would put one and way way is a solid third

or are we putting Peter weird third? I would not. I like the way way, but fair enough, fair enough. Now if you're ranking, if you're ranking, what's your order? These are three films that are not really going for rotis. If you had to way way or watch Richard E. Grant's Wawa, which was you prefer way way or Wawa? Look, way way is team who adventure land, but I like adventure land so much. I'll settle for

“off-brand adventure land. I struggled with this movie a bit. I think it is very well made. I'm not like”

I meant to. Yeah, I meant to put the sound all the way up the ocean so that it just the whole episode sounded blown out and just like really harsh and hard to listen to. Good. So that it mirrors the move. Yes. Oh sure. Yeah, okay. Yes. And then should our faces like kind of crinkle and get all dried up and our lips get all like chapters. If we want to get an Oscar nomination, sure. That's makeup. This movie is only major. I'm going to have to confiscate all of the liquids. Yeah, no

I'm drinking. I watched on the Blu-ray there was a feature at there was like a 30 minute making of with all the actors and Ed Harris has the most blown out audio I have ever heard. It sounds like he was recording in the middle of a tornado. It is insane because you're watching and you're like, oh, I guess they must have done this one over Zoom or something and then you're like, no, it was 2010. It's gross. What's the excuse to talking in the special feature?

Making up. I'm talking making. Ben's talking about the movie. Yeah. The movie itself. Yeah. Also bad. Yeah. Well, maybe I was the same sound guys. Seems sound department or something in pretty harsh conditions. It's a windy movie. Yeah. Sure. You don't have to, you don't have to fuck with windscreens in here. It would be funny if they all had windscreens. Yeah. This is a wind screen. Yeah. This is a wind screen. Yeah. This is a wind screen. No, I mean, I love shipping. Oh,

like, conference, like, I'll knife you. It's holding up a wind screen. It's not funny. They were all like holding up lobs between their fingers, even though the clip is the part that's supposed to

“go on your shirt, but they were doing like the tick talker things. That's what the tick talkers do.”

That's what the tick talkers do. You know who doesn't know about tick talkers? The characters of the way back. Yeah. Here's how it's, and I was that was deft. An immediate reveal of how little I had ever engaged with this movie until watching it last night, like seriously engaged. It starts. And like, from that first title card, I was like, oh, this movie isn't about Irish people. I just assumed you got color. Because colon insertion and I'm like, stir just swings

played Irish, I think. Right. And I'm like, at Harris could play Irish. I was so confident this was a movie about like the fucking potato family or something. I mean, no, it is one of those movies with a poster. You're like, I don't know, it looks, looks like these guys are having a bad time doing something. You know, like my fun level of engagement with this movie is these characters are struggling. These actors on the poster are struggling in some way. And I think they're walking a lot.

That has the same game that that sometimes we do a movie like not not this, but bigger ones. You could say to like, uh, somebody before they watched the year of living dangerous. Sure. What do you think this movie is about? Yes. And it's one of those things where people are like, I don't know. I've heard of this title forever. Right. I mean, you know, maybe it's about like, I'm like alcoholic relationship of people. They're really, you know, it's a days of wine and roses kind of thing.

Or it could be like, yes, man. It's like he does one year living really dangerous. He says the most dangerous way of doing everything. Sometimes we we throw that out as a challenge when we're watching something

like famously at home on a never seen rain man. And before I started it, this was years ago. I said

this movie is about she said it's about like a guy who's like a savanna gambling and he makes it rain in Las Vegas because all she'd ever seen was the shot in the casino. And I was like, that's yeah,

“that's what you think this entire movie is about. This is like a gambling 21 to bring and that's why it's”

21 to me. It's just right? It is. Okay. So she thought it was like 21 like a guy who fixes gambling. I was looking at the timeline because social network comes out the same year as this movie. Uh, 2010. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. Andrew Garfield just fucking blew Jim Sturgis to the black wall. I was exactly like who market corrected Jim Sturgis like I was looking at that. I was like he was really they were pushing him

hard and then it's like completely slipped into oblivion and I watching it, I was just like, oh, this brand of like intense sensitivity in the face of adversity, but came, you know, like one Andrew Garfield super power. And I collected to look up Jim Sturgis so that we could have fun where we'll have a look at Jim because it is like my wife was like, who's that? You know, because he's like Colin Farrell and yeah, whoa, search her own into this and she's like, and who's

that? And I'm like Jim Sturgis, but I might as well just be going like, like it's just like it's like the name of a handsome sound guy. But like four years was a thing. Are we going to say he was in a verse? I know we're going to do his career. We're going to argue like was he ever a thing Hollywood was trying to make him a thing. Hollywood was a thought that

“he could be a thing. I think Hollywood was acting like he already was a thing. But that's what they”

do all the time. Yes. And sometimes it works. Yeah. And sometimes it's the Colin Farrell thing where people are like, we sort of agreed that he was a thing, but you're trying a little too hard to make him a thing. You're out of a way. Yeah. And then after a few years, they're like, ah, he was a thing. It gets get it back. Let's get the open up the box. It's Colin Good. I mean, we'll do it, but it's so funny to actually go through the Colin Farrell filmography item by item because you you think

of it in your mind is like, oh, and then he totally bottomed out and then he had a clean come back

and then he bottomed out. It's always up and down. He never stops working, but it's always like a

good choice of ad choice, two good choices, three bad choices. Yeah. It feels like someone paying the bills. I think if he had been, if Colin Farrell here in this movie, yeah, five years earlier, or five years later, people would have really lined up for him. Yeah. Yeah. Like earlier, it's like the man that's kind of can do anything. And later it would be like Colin Farrell's like, oh, he's kind of good. And it's cool that he's in this big, odd term movie in a small part. We love Colin

Farrell. He's fainted, but at this point, people were kind of like, that's enough of this guy. Yeah. Also, it's like five years earlier, he would have been the Jim Sturgis part. He would have

“he would have been legitimate. Colin being in this movie was so excited to David Sims. So I think you did”

or we didn't see it for 14 years. But this is what I'm saying. Yeah. Yeah. It's like Peter Wears making his fall out to master and commander. I'm like sounds good. And they're like, it's like a true story drama about, and I'm like, okay, sounds fine. But Colin Farrell did. And I was like, I love that. He's got the Anne. He's got the right. He's got the sort of plumb supporting role. He's letting you do a character actor. And then the movie, you know, the film came out and everyone was like, uh, uh, it's okay.

Sort of handsome. And I was like, oh, and then it was gone. Like from theater. So I was like, okay.

Well, I guess I missed it. Yeah. I guess I'll wait for Peter Wears next movie. Never. Still waiting.

I have very clear memory of trying to see this at Union Square and just not getting around to it. Like you were like walking around the hallways and they were like, I just like back at that time, like you would just, you would just write down, you would just write down, you would just write down showtime. Some be like, yeah. This week, I could go see, and I just, I sort of remember post it note, Union Square, the way that, you know, like, it's like a bento style. I could go see that like this

week or next week because I really want to go see us. Yes, it didn't happen. Never happen. I could, years ago, but it was after that. Well, I, I assume you saw it as part of one of

I'm watching good movies. Of course. The eternal project we're all part of.

What's the biggest? This podcast is called blank check with Griffin and David. I'm Griffin. I'm David. You almost just fell for it. You almost, you started looking at an email. You almost missed the cue. You were actually, I can say someone actually texted me, "Who do you think will win blank check March madness?" And David, that's episode record. Yeah. Right. And I was like, "Ooh, and I had a little, I, my brain to the left. Yeah, I should, I should vote while you guys are.

Yeah, some tangent. Who texted you and how are you going to answer?" Ellen Cushing, host of hits, different earphones to the podcast. It's honestly great. I want everyone to listen to it. But I said, I'm still thinking it's going to be Marty Tony. And I think I'd bet Tony, but very soft. Like, I'd put a flutter down, like a 10 bucks

on Tony. Like, I'm not feeling too secure. Also, I'm much like Wes Anderson move. He's often

have one burst of aesthetic violence. Yeah. Perhaps he just shanks Tony Scott. It would be funny if we're like, "Oh, Tony's a juggernaut. And then, right, like, uh, he gets blown in half by Wes Anderson

“in a very artful way." Yeah. But no, I think that would be my guess. I mean, what's your guess?”

Is it for carbon dating the episode now? I feel like it's swinging Tony, but maybe he's very wrong. I'm just making the Tony guests on that we've already said this sort of like, "Well, there's just the, the mildest backlash to Marty, the juggernaut. That's for maybe Tony benefit." Don't tell me who I'm going to vote for. But that's, that I, I don't really know. Yeah, I can't keep, kick it in the brains of these crazy people. They voted for Chris Buckingham Columbus,

so for hello, I was going to tell you up for that. Can't, can't, can't predict anything.

And I think he's, he's going to sneak by, uh, whoever he's up against today. It's got to be insane.

Yeah. That was a war crime to watch, speaking of, sending to the Gulag, like, 5000 Gulag seats needed for people that looked at, why are you here? 10 years of Columbus, and we're like, "That's for Chris Columbus." Yeah. I really want them to cover pixels and Christmas chronicles too, but not one, like, a pixels episode would show. The pixels episode would be harder. Christmas chronicles would be a nightmare. There's a couple

of my beatups. Yeah. And the fucking Thursday murder club? Oh, yeah, Jesus. Yeah. The Netflix run is really bad. But, but, I mean, Chris Columbus is, is currently, like, a folding Gus fans' scent, like one of his flannel shirts. Here's the insane thing you've been edging by. Obviously, my, my, my, my, my support of you guys doing all of our stone needs no introduction at this point. Here's the insane thing about people voting for Chris Columbus.

Here we go. You'd have to keep covering his movies. It is true that we would be saying, really, that this is going to make like an episode of shit every two years. I'm happy to report this. I'm not, I wish him no ill. Well, he seems very healthy. He does. Like, I'm not looking at Chris Columbus being like, this guy's near retirement. He's like, he's in great shape.

“He's got four decades of bullshit. Unless he could honestly, like, you know, he could,”

there's no bottom to what he could end up making next. Now, I want to share with you to the ledger. Oh, yeah. JJ. JJ. In our group of red or researcher was saying he secretly wants Columbus to win. Yeah. In fact, he doesn't understand with. I'm keeping quiet about this. So it's really he wants on this way. So that he can have several months off because you guys would cover someone no one writes about or gives a fuck about. Right. His dossiers would be like, one page

would be like, yeah, I mean, this sauce was released on this day. It's Chris. This Chronicles too. It's like a dumb idea. Adam Sandler figured out the way to like the Alistair. Yeah, this movie had one public screening. It was like the family heartland gala at the Nebraska Film Festival. Columbus did one interview for it. Here it is. It won. It's a family heart. It won like the dove family gentimists. Chris Columbus has made three of the most successful films ever made in

mystery of all he was saying how's the commercial and come around. Oh, I'm a little Mrs. Dalfire and Harry fucking Potter. Sure, so yeah, two Harry Potter's two whole long, Mrs. Dalfire. Exactly. The sequels which are less exciting. But five of the highest gross. I love him. Beth Cooper made a bill five, right? It's a bit. That's the rasp on. We can't give that to him. We can have rust on that episode. We could. I have no

“idea how he feels about that. I think he probably wants to do Percy Jackson instead. This”

is a podcast about filmographies, directors who have massive success or really on in their careers and are given a series of blank checks to make whatever crazy passion products they want and sometimes those checks clear and sometimes they walk a really fucking long way. This movie should be called the long walk, right? I assume that he is because of the fucking Stephen King. Oh, look, I assume so obviously it is

based on a book called The Long Walk. So it's interesting that they did not, but yeah, maybe they were worried. They would come off as an adaptation of a Stephen King. Hold the longest walk or something. I'm like, the way back tells me nothing and this movie starts and I'm like, oh, the premises they have to walk. I don't know. They're also not going back anywhere. No, no, none of them have been. No. That is true. I, I don't,

I think this is like a fairly good movie. I think it's fairly well done. Yeah, it's well made. I think the answer to all of our questions is like, don't make this movie

where I'm just like, I, you know, if this is going to be your last thing and you're

“going to put a lot of effort into it, I think it should do something else. But do you think”

he called this was his last thing and, and he's not sure that he did. I want to put forward. Do we think, you know, Ethan Hawke gave this interview recently because this is a mini series on the film's a Peter where it's called Padden Cutting and Casting. I guess today, of course, is Alex Ross Perry returning after my management has been lifted. We're getting pin in this pin. I have some news in this was his 10th episode. Is that right? Of

main feed. Wow. Of main feed. Unless I'm wrong about something. I'm going to read them out now. And I brought gifts for you guys. Can I try to guess them? Sure. Fuck. You want to go in order? I forgot to wear my hollow man hat today. I was going to do that to memorialize your run. Okay. So it starts with insomnia. It starts with insomnia, which I rewatched recently. Good movie. Yeah. Because my insomnia has been

had a control. And I was like, it's time to check him with the tech of door. Let me sleep. Um, garbage bags. The garbage scene is in the scars guard version. Yeah. I like when I rewatched the, when I watched the, the original, like, insomnia, because it's on criteria. I bought it at some point. And just announced as a new deluxe second site for kids. Okay. I'm fine with my criteria in blue. But like, where's there's the scene where scars guard's like

picking up garbage? I'm like, wow. This is just all in the original. Yeah. Like, anyway, I do think the Nolan's better. I agree. I haven't, yes, it is definitely better. Okay. I'm sure it's really good. Insomnia. Then it's, is it hollow man and then the

“keep? Hollow man and men. Taking what's. Taking wood side. Those are the ones I remember”

doing at audio. Those are the first four in studio. The fifth was a remote episode. And

that was always when it was, can I pick the least relevant film, which I have done. Again,

I argue. We've come back around to it because then when we get on to zoom, it swings into. Well, Lucky numbers was irrelevant. Oh, you're right. That's, that's the end of the relevancy. That's a Ben's landlord who bought the tape and kept it sealed. But as a relevant to most people, we still have it here in the office. Yeah. On DVD and VHS. Yeah. Well, I brought the DVD and then Ben brought the tape. And then it swings around to, for the most important

movies in your history as a person. So then it's Halloween, right Halloween. Correct. Into Fight Club. Nope. You're missing one. Bit of a contentious episode. No, I have to think of what we did at Ben's house. Clockwork Orange. Correct. And so the Halloween and Clockwork Orange, those were at Ben's place. Sure. And then the most recent, well, to he did. Clockwork Orange was here. Nope. No. Was it Ben's house? It was a rope you

home after. Okay. That was the building. All right. I have. No, it was on the podcast before. It was. You worked it out. We didn't have to work out if everything was in me was

fun. Everyone on this Reddit is always like Jesus. You could cut the tension in the

room. Right. We got him in the drive. Fucking crazy. I realized the career of McColley clock. Yeah. Well, David, David, blasted the prodigy. And so I listen to this song every day. So I wasn't like Alex was really fucked up. I'm really mad at you. Look, there was no atmosphere. David was like, exist in the room. I was like, you see, when MC maximum reality entered into this particular phase of his rhymes. But wait, there was one

after, if I club, right? Correct. His most recent. Oh, man. That's not here. And this is 10. And you are back to maybe the less relevant episodes, but I've also never done the last movie. You've never done the last film. Never been here for a ranking. Oh, that's right. Although we're going to have to fit our ranking in record it later. Yeah, because you haven't watched all the movies. Yeah. I haven't. I mean, I've seen all the movies.

Yes. But I haven't rewatched year-viving day and dressedly yet. I've only seen that

from once. I've never seen that. And I've only seen master and commander one. So I desperately

need to rewatch. I have a feeling that master and commander might be number one of my list, not to spoil. So you guys haven't done those episodes. Yeah. Those are the two we haven't done. Correct. Where either of you present at Lincoln Center for the Peter Weir retrospective around when this movie came out? No. He was there. I just became a week of Q&A. That's

“what it was called. Yeah. But it was centered around this. I believe so. I could be”

wrong in my mind. It was 2010. So I think it was sort of in conjunction with this movie. If you was doing a retrospective, I mean, that makes sense. Yes. It was January 2011, which is when this. I mean, it was when this is probably going wide. This film came out. Oh, no. I didn't mean it. Isn't it early 2011? Came out early 2011. Yeah. So it has a qualifying run in 2010. Get's nominated. No, it didn't happen. No, wait. I think

it's a festival. 2010. It's a festival 2010. It's a festival 2010. It's a proper theatrical 2011. Right? Because it loses to the wolf man for makeup. Okay. Yes. And that's the, no, that is the 20. So must have had some like, yeah, that it qualifying. It

29th, 2010, Los Angeles, California, they're like, they don't even allow that up the Oscars anymore. They're kind of like, what? We coughed it onto theaters for one day on like New Year's Eve. I mean, this was an image and new market. Yeah, whole distribution was. Yeah. So, but it came out, and it's not even wide, but like sort of six under screens. January 2011. So neither one of you, you were not present at this reference. No,

it was great. It was. It was. Wow. I mean, you can go see a movie. No, you're forgetting

Alex. It didn't necessarily cost one million dollars a ticket. Oh, that's right. It was great,

but he was there for almost all the Q and A's. Yeah. I saw him do a Q and A at a double

“feature of, you're a living dangerously and the mosquito coast. That's cool. And then I think”

he just gave like a top. I think there was like a 90 minute like discussion some other day. His muggyest movies. Yeah. Those are the two most kind of like, damn beard films. I had already liked those movies, but seeing them at Walter Reed on film with him. It was like, man, these are the best. Like, this guy's again, that I saw Gallipoli there. I saw a bunch of movies, because I was kind of filling in the gap. Sure. And it was really a really successful series

for me. I mean, he's, this has been a successful series for us. He's made really interesting great movies, some of which I know well, some of which I'd like seen zero to one time. And they were all rewarding. And even this, which was the true. Oh, I'll get to it. I know I should

see, I know Peter, we are made it like for like basically the last 15 years. I've been like,

no, no, I'm planning on getting to that. That's strange because to me, this is an incredibly

“easy to watch movie. I found this film so hard to watch. Like, I'm getting to that is like,”

well, it's 170 minutes long. Everybody thinks it's bad. This is like 133. Yeah, but that's short. Yeah, but it's rock 'em socom. I would say very early in the movie. I just agree with you. The movie is rock 'em socom. Yeah, I did not find it as hard as I, I'm unsurprised to learn Griffin. I don't think this is a bad film, and it wasn't like I was like swarming in my seat and discomfort, but I did find it to be a bit of a slog. A hands-on. Would you have enjoyed

well-intentioned slog? In a 40 X-ray release. No question. This movie would, if the steps were

happening, the subtle steps, more like a few coughing, the seat coughs for you. A treadmill screening.

Yes, I'd love a slow treadmill screen. It would spray dirty water in your face. Yeah, mosquitoes come out. But imagine how satisfying it would be when they get to the water in the middle of the desert. And suddenly they're just spraying water directly into your mouth. I'd look like a fucking water. I would say I thought this film was going to be a little more brutal and tough to watch and slow. And I was, I was when I wanted, I was like, no, this moves,

'cause I'm like, right, 'cause Peter wears like a good director. And like, this isn't quite the slog I thought it was going to be. I would not call it Rockham Sockham. I don't think that you won't think the the Gulag Break is Rockham Sockham? I've reserved that term for robots only. I also see Elizabeth Rockham Sockham movie. Yes. It is. Okay, I mean, if it wasn't then they really boobies. It's not saying it's good, but it does have that Sean Levy feeling.

“You, you saying I would tell Peter weird, just make something else, right? I think so. I was watching”

this, this 30 minute making of thing. And everyone is talking about how difficult and experience this film was. Yeah. But they're talking about it in the window between when they have wrapped and when the movie is released and they all clearly feel like, but this is going to be a historic effort. Everyone is going to talk about, you know, they're not like there's no reason not to think that he had to do that at this point for almost 30 years straight. But this was like

a four-month shoot of them fighting the elements. Sounds good. You know? And they're all like and by like day 20, the line between acting and reality is blurred and we're feeling the real things. And we're all in it together. No one has any egos and we felt such a responsibility to tell this story. To like go through such a herkily and effort to make this movie and then have it treated with such a shrug, you know, just like a complete kind of, it just, it doesn't exist. Ethan Hawking

that interview that gets moving into the Matrix all the time. It's a smart plan. It's a good player. Ethan Hawking had that interview that gets recirculated all the time where he said, like, "Oh, my buddy Peter, we're his retired. After years of people English, Peter, we're going to make anything." Yeah. And he said, Peter's retired and the industry kind of broke him and it's stopping knowing how to make the kind of movies that he wants to make and he's good at. And also,

he got broken by, like, movie star egos. And the two things he cited were how difficult a time he had working with Crow on Master and Commander. And that the other thing was, it's supposed to be after this that he was going to make Shantaram. That certainly was. And we can talk about him. That was Johnny Depp's passion project and he said the process of dealing with depth in development

And Ethan Hawking did just on the industry changed and he stopped being able to deal with

“a misleading man who were no longer collaborators, who were sort of, you know, dictators, right?”

Yeah. Whereas before he'd been this guy, we're a list man would trust him to mold them. I also, I watched this and I'm like, "I get why he retired." To put this much into making this. Right. And just have it straight with the shrug. Right. It seems like he, from, you guys have more research, hopefully than I do, which is zero. It seemed like he tried other things after this. He wasn't like. I think there was, right, there was some sort of... He's now just said like,

"I don't have the energy." Right. And like, it's interesting because Master and Commander is now a movie that was liked at the time has now become this like canonical movie. I think he appreciates that, but then there's also the kind of the sort of melancholy of like, I didn't get to make another one. I wanted to, like... Master and Commander had like eight Oscar nominations, right? Ten. It's crazy that it just went up against Return of the King. Right.

And it's still snuck a couple of times. Aside from it, just not winning, but it's just crazy that that catapulted him to nothing. That makes me feel like Shanty Tram might have shared whatever.

“Shanty Tram, Shanty Tram. Good thing that didn't get, I mean, I think that became a TV show.”

It became a Apple Plus version of the series. Yes. Well, that was the trial. Yes. Yeah, we all know. It was almost near an air, Peter Weir, and I think there was a third major director who almost made it with Johnny Depp, and then like 10 years later became an Apple Plus series that no one wants. It was a good thing we didn't have to learn how to actually say that. I just do you remember, yes, what, that there was a whole original series about Shanty

and going to Mars in which they never actually went to Mars because in class,

excreeming series, you know, fashion since one ends with them like going to go to Mars. He's discovered a new planet or not telescope. And then like they're like, "No, I'll watch this season two has been canceled." So you didn't actually even get to watch Shanty and go to Mars? It was a cold winter show, right? Oh, yes, that's right. Yes. I truly forgot that exists until you mentioned it right now.

“I think that's what he was promoting when he was on Marin saying he's retiring. Yes.”

Yeah. It's like I've done everything. Nolting his Oscars. This is our full time in into books. We all love his book. Of course, Bob Honey, who do stuff? You read both of you read Bob Honey, who do stuff to your daughters every night. Yeah. Every day. Honey, honey. Shanty, Shanty, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben, Ben. It's real. Look up the cover of Bob Honey, who do stuff? Look up, Honey, who do stuff? I believe it's just just do stuff. Hang on. How do you think you spell honey?

In the title of Shanty's novel? Like honey. Nope. Nope. Think a little bit more when you the poo. H-U-N-N. You're on the right track. E-E. I don't know. It's something like that. Yeah. I'm seeing him in a tiny spelled regular. I was like, well, I will correct. I refuse to revise my memory. Well, what the title is? That's a true show that doesn't exist. Yeah. And I want to correct this. I'm not shintering with Charlie's number one. I think my joke about the first was two kinds.

Season one would end with someone making the telescope. This is for kids to not end with them. No, no, it's for it's how you introduce your kids to sophisticated political satire. This is a book for growing. I think he's written as peep. I think he's written multiple Bob Honey. I too. I too. The Bob Honey Crown. It's like some kind of, it's not far as gumpy, but it's like some kind of character who like drift through history. I think. Everything I'm pulling is from a 10-year-old episode

of Indian. But like a forest gump as character. I don't know. Yeah. Sure. This was, I don't correct me. This was him saying like, I'm done with movies. Fuck them. I'm doing this full time. I did this whole show. That's my final thing as an actor. Yeah. And then he won a third Oscar in the school. There are eight actors. Yeah. In history with three acting Oscars. He is the eighth. Yes.

He won it for an incredible performance in a movie that I think will be very well-remembered

that one best picture. Yeah. And when he won everyone was like, you know, he didn't show us. It being his third Oscar. I'm not showing up. People will forget that he won. I think he truly will become like, who won best supporting actor that year? And like, apart from Walter Brennan, who got bless and we love him. Walter Brennan is the weirdest of the winners. Andrew Bergman, Catherine Hepburn, Jack Nicholson, right? I'm a Sean Pena's five. Ben's friend.

Ben's friend Daniel Day Lewis, Merrill Street. Mm-hmm. And there's one more. Mm-hmm. I'm a dormant. She's got a bit of a hard face these days to arm a bit of a fixer, you know, tough stare. And she even has four. I can't even watch. She was three. I guess four if you can't are producing. Yeah. She has three actors, three acting wins and a best picture. You would think Penn and Weir would have overlapped. You would. They kind of hit the same. You're right. You're very

the same stride around the same time. I mean, yeah, I wonder if he ever even considered him

for one. Something I always loved about Peter Weir younger watching these movies, but what you just said,

like, man, he really just has these like awesome men at the center every time. And they're just doing some of their best work consistently. The crazy thing is that Brennan won three Oscars in a

four, but I assume basically doing the same shit every time because that's what Walter Brennan always did.

“Yeah. And he was only nominated one other time. So he has a 75% track record of winning if nominated.”

Merrill Streeper, like three Oscars. Yeah, 21 Noms. She sucks. I don't mean she was striking out. I don't mean to be rude. Yes. Is there not some weird explanation for the Walter Brennan thing that the rules of the Academy changed? Well, you're thinking of possibly. Well, wasn't there a thing where he was nominated for both lead and supporting or something? Like then just pin that I tried to steer the conversation back to Peter Weir and David immediately brought it back to this

trivia factory that we're all tired of hearing at the end of Oscar season. It is, it is true that Oscar season's over and it is kind of like who care that I very definitely tried to turn this champion and then came up. What do you mean? We're on our great run. But then I brought it back. The honey thing. I brought it back and David who likes things to keep going in a tangential direction was like,

hang on. We'll talk about Peter Weir in a second. Walter Brennan, who never worked with Peter Weir.

Yeah, we know of. I'm going to solve this. I know, I feel like I know what you're talking about, Griff, but I'm not totally sure. Oh, yes. Oh, this is what it is. Yeah. In the early years, extras could vote. There makes no sense because like, what does that mean extras could vote? But they realized basically that they would always whip and votes from the extras. Like a nice guy that everyone likes. So they're all up next to them at random. And they'd be like, he's a man of the people.

Because there's the other thing where like, what does it like Betty Davis got to write in vote? And then there's the other thing where like someone was not able for both lead and supporting and one in support. And I don't know. But that wasn't clean up. That's not what. No, who was that? I don't fucking know. Look, please find out. It's Alex's 10th appearance on some blank check. Not clear out. There was this, you're claiming you've been banned from the show. Well, I mean, like some point

you just didn't do an episode in 2025, but it's on the mark in that year. Both Emily O'Shaider and I conferred that you guys had gotten too big for for sort of the, you know, twin flames of blank check and so on. You had just outgrown some of your core voices. Okay. So we ever have these in favor. Excuse me. I mean, what it really is you guys both left the city. I'm not a, not, no, no, no, no. Okay. There's a bigger thing here. Okay. The bigger things you were chasing

cloud and fame. The bigger thing here is the co-inbrother series and the early Spielberg series were

both long, right? Those two series basically comprised a full year. We knew we were doing

Lynn Ramsey after Spielberg. Is that right on the timing? No, no, no. Spielberg. No, then it's

“heckerling and then it's co-ins. Oh, yes. I'm sorry. That's what it is. We knew we were doing”

Lynn Ramsey after co-ins. So we didn't book your sheet on a co-ins because we knew she had to do more of her in color. Right. The thing with you is we have a group text called news and deals. It is the three of us hit maker, Simon's David Lowry and Sean fantasy. Sean Hollywood fantasy. Yeah. Sean Hollywood fantasy. Tim hit maker, Simon's David. Everything's bigger in Texas. David really lovely men, Larry. Gentle soul. Yes. In a thread that's like heavy on shit talking,

David's really there for like I feel like a really a more pure energy. I invited David to it because I was simultaneously getting an endless flurry of texts from the this group text and David the day the first one bail after another trailer came out and I was like, David, would you like to just combine these three things? Yeah, similarly we had a group text with fantasy. We had a group text with Tim. Both of them were trending towards physical media news

and deal announcements. We combined them and then I had this may be the single act I'm proudest of in my entire life. Wow. That's just gonna be what I'm going to say. One day I say to the group,

“what do you think about introducing ARP to this group text? It was important because things are a”

little too. Right. We're a little too aligned here. Everyone kind of agrees on their fiction. Like the biggest controversy is to hit maker, not like in Zodiac, who cares, you know, he's a wild up about it. Right. It's been the greatest choice. It's been a role a grenade in there. It's improved all of our lives. You bring us so much joy and happiness. I just don't have much else to do. But I can devote a lot of happiness to him. My father. But very often we will

give news and deals first crack. That's true. If we've settled on a mini series or we're like, hey, March Manus feels like it's trending this way. That happened in this mini series and I said, two movies and you're like, oh, that's gone already. Peter, where? Yeah. What did he say? The second you said we're doing where I was like, I just revisit a Truman Show, like JD's doing Truman Show. Yeah. When the coins looked like they were going to win March Madness. We

threw up to you guys. What were your coins picks B? Everyone else has a choice. You say, okay, he has it up. So this is going to be a verbatim line. Because you're sheet of broad this up to me and was like, yeah, ARP and I have been complaining that we both feel like we've been shadow banned. I'm like, you're you're doing it episode right now. As am I. And this is what I'm still explaining to you. You said I'd request Hail Caesar a movie that so doesn't exist. It

Because no one remembers all these people there in the movie for one thing. No, we thought you were just

“making a comment about the public rudely not remembering this film. I once said CBS films failed that one.”

That's a great art that was inside Lou and Davis. Okay. Whatever. Hail Caesar was universal. David says that's a great art pick. A great film. And then like a month later I said some other episode and someone David's like, oh, it's got a text from a friend of mine. She's going to do a Hail Caesar and I don't think I guess that's there goes that. I say five star masterpiece. You give it a thumbs down. You respond another chance post hollow man to talk about what a dud brolin is to me. That's

right. I say Alex you're coming in ice cold with this shit. You are. You were. I reversed course I'm brawling for weapons. I really liked him in that. He's good in weapons. But then he was in something else after that that he was bad in again. What was it? Well, it was again in the back half of last year. He was in the running man and wake up dead man. Yeah. I was wake up dead man that I was like this before. I mean, I feel like wake up dead man. He's he has kind of a boring role. Go ahead.

“Later fancy swinging with his love a buster scrugs. You give that a thumbs down. relevant for the”

the film today because this to me is almost as good of a last film as you guys have covered. And that is to me almost as bad of a last film. This is exactly the kind of spice and flavor. The blank trick needs. You said that you can see watching this movie that Peter we were felt he was ready to hang it up, which is what I felt watching buster scrugs at Walter Reed a truly disparating screaming. This is not Alice Tully. The Netflix effect makes it non-existent sadly. You go that

plus it's a gentleman six. It is so fun to me how in success we only don't drive away dolls are financially. I've seen neither in that show. Still true on post a picture of Tom Wait's panning for gold and writes Alex looking for hot things. Yeah, I saw a little meme there. Yeah. A little group text me. Then soon send to me his breakout text with you one on one. We love it. Oh my God. He was from years earlier, right? The co-in brothers are old guard with nothing new

to offer. Buster scrugs was embarrassing. Truly embarrassing. I dug it up. Hillsies are should have been the last one. It's just coins by the numbers. That's right. Yeah. Kind of when they have numbers they're pretty good in the IMO. Like four months ago you text us. You went far ghost socks. No, I didn't say it was Francis Victor. That is an embarrassment. That is an embarrassing. When you spend six months being like the blank check guys are big

timing me they won't have to act. You're saying everything. Brother's thing is embarrassing. Not everyone. Just to me like Peter Weir is a guy. I don't think I have a movie of his in my brain that's below a three star film. So great that we got you on for this. That is true. I want you to do Weir for a long time. It's true. But to me I feel like that is a body of work. I'm with you. That has some real lows for me. I would agree that Peter Weir's basement is three stars.

Yeah. Yeah. You can't make a bad movie in my opinion. No. Largely to God make a bad movie. Changes what he's doing so much. Sure. Yeah. And because oftentimes his instincts are just, this is what's so sad to me about the industry failing him as Mr. Hawk pointed out. And as obvious from this movie's release and everything like how can we fail a guy like this? Sure. Did we fail him? He had an enormous success. He did. But like the contraction that happened in the

2010s, you know he's like the kind of guy you picture has seen like some guy who's been at the company for 25 years has been a top salesman got brought in. It's like listen we're just making some cuts and we got to let you go and it's like I've been here forever. I've done so much for you and it's like it's not personal. We just we just gotta kind of say goodbye. Like you're gonna offer you an early retirement. But I still have work in it's like no I'm sorry. You just kind of have to go away.

And he's someone it's like if even he couldn't get the means after and this is a good movie. Like this isn't like yikes. Tarantino's right. People really should hang it up. No, it's everything in this if he's good at. Yes. This is this is a respectable final film.

Right now I'm always saying Tarantino's right. This is the moment for that.

He's right about everything. He keeps getting more right. I don't see anybody selling any Tarantino was a dope shirt. Maybe Paul Day knows you sell some of this right now. You I just do like the dormant embarrassing when because Emily Watson should have won. Sure. Emily Watson obviously very power. Obviously I hate this kind of like hindsight. Like you know she's gonna get two more awards. But like she's barely in the movie.

I mean for 30 minutes. Well, that's she's only near just immediately you're just on the crazy Trash. If she wants her supporting, I'd be like fine. Whatever.

“The Emily Watson performance and breaking the waves is I think one of the 10 best screen performances.”

It's I have ever seen incredible performance. But this is just silly. It's like it's the Oscars.

The movie where Emily Watson is the he's like not great. It's constantly because talent scars got paralyzed. It's like the fucking insane large one true movie. It's like the

other areas of Fargo. You were coming in general. My rewatch of it. I was really bored. And also like. Yeah, I know. I want you to understand that we don't shadow Ben you from the show. Sometimes we strategically go. If you come on a Fargo episode and go obvious. I mean, they come on a Fargo episode. They will rip you apart. No, I don't want to fucking Fargo episode. Also at that time, I hadn't seen it in 15 years. And I'll say this.

I asked after you guys roasted me on group chat. I asked every single person I worked at Kim's video with. What do you think of the co-imbrothers and Fargo? This is like

“seven people I ever single one of them was like nothing. I think maybe the sample of”

they were one person was like I haven't seen since it came out. No interest in revisiting. I stopped watching their movies. One person said the best movies for Normies. One person said No, wait, hold on. I'm just saying. I'm just saying. Hold on. Who questions about the video? I'm just saying. It's often where they "contrarians" or "snarking" or "friendly" or "openhearted" or "friendly" cinema lovers. I'm just saying. It's very interesting to me. Big straw I contact. Yeah. I'm simply saying it's very interesting to me that you can turn from one side to the other

and have 280 degree different opinions on the exact same body of work. Sure. I was hearing opinions from my old co-workers that in other contexts would be sacrilegious. And then, you guys were saying opinions that if I brought to them, it'd be like who are these fucking dorks. I agree with you that it is interesting that different people can share a kind of whole different opinions. I also think if our

listenership was like, "Oh, great. I can't wait for the Fargo Epis." No, no, he was never going to be. I mean, he's

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“You know what the thing is about Hill Caesar that none of you brought up? What?”

While we talk about the long walk, festerstically muddled sense of the 1930s you did write that out. Yes, just drives me crazy. The no one points this out. People who supposedly know what movies are. Every time they go to a different movie in that. In the 50s. Then why is there a fucking ester with him synchronized? That's from 15 years. Is it funny? Who cares? I care. Well, clearly, I mean, that is obvious.

Nothing in the end of the memory was 1952, I will say. That is like, that's like saying,

never say never again was, you know, and I did, I believe that's exactly what it's like saying.

But it's like saying it. It's not presented. It's like, wow, we're making one more of these. And it's just crazy to me that this movie, the supposedly steeped in Hollywood history, and the fucking, the, the Ray Fiends thing, that is a 30s movie. He's visiting like a Ruben Mammolian comedy of manners. And then they go to, it was a little bitch, but yeah, sure. Not really. Everything's still kind of exists. I'm having such a good

everything, you're saying it's like the magic is bad. These movies from 30s co-exist with these movies from the 50s and this pointless fantasia of nothing. I know nothing can be realistic.

“Like your favorite film of all time, Damon, she says I was babble on. Another film that I think”

presented Hollywood exactly is it was, right? Like that's, that's the opinion you share. You're not saying anything so carry on. The test, the testable work of art. Alex's body is slowly from the toes to the top of his head turning red. It's working up his body like a thermostat. Hail Caesar. Look, you should y'all have this at the cone. They probably go like, okay, yeah,

you can feel the guy being like, I'm kind of ready to hang it up and I don't feel that in this. No, no, I don't feel him saying that while making, I don't feel the movie saying that. I understand why the response to the movie would make him say that. That's the point I'm trying.

“Do you think he cared that much about the sort of fallout of his work after that much?”

I think for your ups and downs, so much harder for him to get this movie made. PW. Well, let his other films, right? He has to make it in a much scrappy or way. Wow, it barely gets released. Who steps out to the plate? Image. A yellow triangle.

Second, National Geographic Film Covered-On-Bling Chuck.

I was first. Can I take the one? Yeah, and I would say, I can't believe you missed that logo because it's long. It's a really, really long, pre-roll logo. But this movie really reminded me of K19. I think it's better than K19. Yeah. But similar kind of like, why did you think anyone was really going to be hot for this story? National Geographic Film Covered-On-Bling Chuck. Like, two movies were like, and then they suffered,

and then they suffered some more. And let me tell you, it's true. They had this directive at the time of like, let's try. It's dry. Everyone's doing an accent, but they're different accents. It's a lot of emotionally closed-off Russians. Yeah, let's tell the Russian side of things, the National Geographic's 2000s, and basically what? Will you cover a third National Geographic film? What else is a National Geographic film?

What else is a National Geographic film? And I don't remember now. It's weird. I kind of thought maybe these were the only two, but there's actually others. I'm going to figure it out. I will figure that out. And I will crack up with the dossier. Here's some other obvious ones, of course, March of the Penguins. But we're not going to count. No, we're not going to count the narrative historical.

“Yeah. Restrepo. Remember that one? That's a documentary, too, though. There's really not much.”

This is kind of it. That's why I was fascinated to see that big yellow square.

There's the gemstone Chaddela writing the first grader. I think that is a drama,

which is about like Kenyan education. Okay. There's that movie, I'm Rika. Remember that? Which is about like a Palestinian family moves to Chicago. These were all like good, you know, like a, you know, civic kind of movies, you know what I mean? Like about sort of weighty issues, mostly its documentaries. Yeah. So this is the final National Geographic film to be covered on Blanchard.

That, I think, in there's that. Yeah. All right. Well, then it's on March with the Penguins. Yeah, what would that be? If you're penguins, Patreon? We've already done both happy feet. It's true. You're not kind of, you're farce of the Penguins, March of the Penguins. You're March of the New First. I mean, perfect, perfect series. A little this little. All right. So following the release of Mastering Commander,

which I once pointed out, got 10 Oscar nominations, one, two, and was successful, although, as I'm sure we discussed last week, was not hugely successful. Incredibly expensive. It was very expensive and they wanted it to make more.

It was basically a financial break even. And you were, you asking, like, why didn't he immediately gain,

“like a new wave of momentum from Mastering Commander? I think part of it was,”

well, is this a series that he's going to stay on. And then it was kind of in a place, a midpoint for a while of like, we can't decide whether or not to make more of these. Yeah. And Crow is like, I'm only getting more addicted to sandwiches, guys. So if you want me, you know, to fit into that vest. I mean, they're throwing a phone or eating a hole. Because Robin Hood is, which is this year. I think it's 2010, right? Yeah. That's the last where he's like,

I went back to the gym and it's like, he at least walked through the gym. He tightened it way up. As way up as he could. But body Eliz is right before that. And body Eliz, he's God bless. Well, it's just the character domain that the characters on the phone all the time eating sandwiches. And I love sandwiches. I sent you last night in our, in our text with Sean Clements. Oh, that fucking crow movie. What's it called? Yeah. I'm going to send you a crow poster.

I just want your reaction on Mike to this Alex. What's the film called again? Let me, let me just get. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. So, so, yes. So, Peter, we're, you know, in between 74 and 86, he makes eight films. In between 87 and 20, 2003, he makes just five films. So, he's getting taking longer, longer to make movies, takes him seven more years to make the way back. But in between, here are some of the things he was attached to,

because there were other projects. First is I was surprised. He did not have the beloved separate Wikipedia page of list of unmade and unrealized projects. Yeah. He's a guy that should. He, he probably should. He has a team. He, you know what? He deserves that. If someone could get on that. Please, someone may. First one is the war magician. Right. A cruise Wagner at Paramount Project, based on a nonfiction book about a patriotic, British, stage magician who volunteered his illusionist

abilities to help the Nazis. I mean, this sounds like like Harvey Wein seems like let me out of prison. I can release that shit. Am I insane for thinking the band to come or batch has tried to revive that recently or is there a different that's a rubber batch wartime magician movie that is being. Well, obviously he was a doctor strange who fought the infinity war. Of course.

challenging thing that would have a lot of really great roles for our finest movie stars. He should do it. And he had all these projects right here. Well, the Tom Cruise a guy. It's actually

surprising. He never worked with because it felt like Tom Cruise was a bit checklist to get that point.

Yeah. I mean, I imagine there's a guy who you would imagine he's both meeting with and saying what do you want to do? And also any time he options a book. The weird thing though is that when Cruise was doing that, we were was in the kind of other key of dead poets and green card and fear it like he was. Yeah. But I mean, he's just he just started taking a long time between projects. All right, look, the cruise had one at one point, but attached at this point. He's just a producer on it.

Cruise Wagner split from Paramount, obviously in 2006. And make a plan. I'm sure there was no possible checks notes here. Cool and normal. At that point, Cruise actually reattaches to possibly starring. But we're let's go Mark Forster, your best friend. Yeah. Gets a touch. And indeed, Benedict Cumberbatch was eyed to star. There we go. Now it is. This was my stroke himself. Just quick pause because I sent Alex, a poster image and I want you to do it.

You're fair. Your favorite blank check segment describe a poster. So I can back it to do this.

“So Russell Crowe is doing a yoga pose. Well, what's the first thing right at the top of the poster?”

It says from the director of unhinged. Oh, that's the car movie that he made that came out. There was like in theaters, either like it was in like 30,000. May 2020. Let's put this thing.

It got to break the record of being the first movie to new release open in theaters.

But okay, from the director of unhinged. That's like a scrappy, fucking, slucky, like be movie action. So we have here as the tone you imagine is going to transfer to the rest of this post. Beyond pink font with a kind of rounded look. This has bear country. You know, he's doing a yoga pose in front of a pool with a palm tree with the ocean behind him. What I can only imagine is Australia. I would argue he's dressed like DJ Khaled.

I haven't gotten to the clothes yet. Okay, because he has on noise canceling headphones. Noise canceling headphones. Spiky crazy hair. He's got it's it's orange tinted sunglasses. You might say a kind of like the lower-looking track suit. Yeah, that is orange. But yeah, I would say Khaled asks for sure. Yeah, but despite the young pose, which conveys tranquility by his feet is a gun that looks like it is a cartoon that was drawn

onto this poster. Yeah, it's not the most interesting. It's also just got like a couple loose bullies. Yeah, the bull tie the gun. Theresa Palmer is listed beneath that. She's Australian. Yeah. Luke Evans also Australian. Is listed there? He might be Australian. Are he definitely or are he British? Is he not? I thought he was a Swiss.

“And there's some other names and it says with Nina's mouth. Well, what am I talking about?”

Anne Aaron Paul. And Aaron Paul. Not necessarily who you want with the Anne to excite the movie. I know if it's Aaron Paul, but right, you do not want him in your Anne. And then there's some lady who's probably sexy, but we can't see her. And I can't see her. And in a lounge chair on the other side of the pool, but she's blonde. So, you know, she's Australian. It might even be Theresa Palmer. It could be very possible.

It could be. You could show me your face and it wouldn't be totally cute. And I was holding a lot of Theresa Palmer stalked throughout the- And that's bearish. I was holding. Well, while we're on that subject, well, David Reezy's off above what Griffin just texted me is a series of un-responded to text messages where I was asking questions about gifts for Ben.

This is a good while Griffin has put me back and it's just worth mentioning that Griffin doesn't respond to one on one text, but if I ask the same question in a group check,

“he responds literally within seconds. Is it it is an interesting phenomenon?”

Which I need not bear everyone else in the inventory of some objects for Ben, which I will now. Okay, in the middle of good taxis conversation, yes, we can just have this real important. So Ben, this is for you. Oh, shit. Do you see what it is? Can you make out the hopper news? That's going to come up with this. This is a vintage boxed.

There I say really good condition. Spawn action figure from TDog Mac. And what is the character name on here, Ben? Look on the side. And on the top right there. Future spawn. This is spawn from the future. So this is sort of like a spawn 299 type. Yeah, but it's like a Robo spawn, Maca spawn.

There's a little like a sticker on the upper right hand that describes what his deal is. And this is machine, part human. All spawns. Very Robo cop. Ask. Now it's funny. You give me this, which thank you. This is awesome, Alex. I really appreciate it. I just feel like future spawn is in line with your like pitches for spawn. On the other hand. They now have a future on, so you're new to me.

I really had it all along. And I just brought it here with me, Rat City.

I just read the first six issues. It's great.

Talk about happy to give you this thing that I bought 30 years ago and immediately was like,

Has anything ever sounded more like a Ben Hotsley pitch than, hey, I got to grab you for a comic book. It's spawn in the future. So he was like a demon from hell, right? But yes, now he's in like a robot machine. Right. And you're like cool. I assume it's called Future spawn. No, it's called Rat City.

“That's why you would call it. I feel like Ben's always bringing lovely guests.”

And I wanted to return the favor. Thanks for the kind of you. Yeah, this is so appreciated. Damn, there's some really good other toys here too.

Yeah, the line on the back promises a lot of good stuff. Have I finally broken Ben

and it's becoming an action figure collector? Do you make a living room for another crack this guy? Do you see, do you see he's got a violator on the mic? I saw that. That's the bendy. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't bringing you something you already had. Yeah. Damn this is great. April 2004 Variety announced the picture that in the carousel of the content for the story. Here we were was attached to direct an adaptation of William Gibson's novel pattern recognition.

Okay, 2004, you said this is right after Master and Commander. Yes, that I feel like that was a, you know, 2003 novel by Gibson. I feel like that was also a project that got passed around a lot. He rewrote it with DB Weiss. Okay, nothing ever came of it. He said I couldn't get the script right and pulled back out of it. I don't know. Fair enough. The major one, of course, as we already mentioned, is then to the October 2004 Warner Brothers

purchases, the film writes to the novel Shantaram for $2 million at the urging of Johnny Depp.

It's a 1000 page book. He wanted to beat out Russell Crowe who was also really into like that book. And now I don't know what Depp saw in a role like this. An Australian hero and out of convictory of robbery escapes from a prison of fleas to Indian, reinvents himself as a doctor in Bombay and gets involved in counterfitting and smuggling and gun running, which leads him to Afghanistan, where he and a mob boss battle the Russians. That is what the book is about.

I will say, we're fan at the time and a Depp fan at the time. Yeah, I was like, for sure, a height of Depp. I was truly like, let's fucking go. I was going to sound so good. We're going to shoot all over the world. It's going to be hard as hell. It's going to be like 100 million plus budgets for like an adult tent pole. Right. And this is Johnny Depp is so at the peak of his powers right now. Yeah. That this isn't like a fuck Disney's agreeing to option

shantaram in order to make Jack Sparrow happy. This is Warner Brothers. A company he doesn't really do movies with. Everyone's just starting to make some crimes. Sure, but every one on screen. Everyone's like truly anything Depp wants to do. We will make and make it his requested

“budget level with whatever creative team he wants to crack open the window. Yeah, secret. I mean,”

it would be funny if in 2004 Depp had pitched the crimes of Grindelwald and he's like, don't worry about it. It's going to, but this time it's going to be kind of great. This is awesome. I mean, I mean, it sounds like creative music, but it's like the

pedic and the unmade projects of where, but this to me, it was always kind of like the great

unmade one. Because he was really at peak of his powers, even though he's probably in his 60s by now. Yeah, he'd be in his like early 60s. After Truman and Master and Commanders was like, man, this guy, he's just, he's still the best. I'm a mosquito coast at this point. It's 20 years ago. He's still got this power over movie stars and environments aircraft is brought in for a rewrite. So obviously this is being taken very seriously. That's a heavyweight screenwriter.

In 2006, we were does enter the project, but then apparently he and Johnny Depp were unable to get on the same page. And he decided the pairing wasn't meant to be. The page was how many bottles of wine should we drink and hour? We were says I was involved for a period. I went to India. I talked to Johnny Depp about it. It's his film. I just wasn't, you know, it wasn't the right

“combination. That's him bidding for a diplomatic record. But I think it's going back to what we're”

saying that it used to be like these guys would go to him with their passion projects and say, I want you to get something out of me that I don't know how to get out of myself. And now it's like people like Depp and Crow trying to call the shots. Yeah. And be like, no, you work for me. I think we're also at that point is a little paralyzed by having made a couple like really heavyweight movies and just being like, well, if I wanted to be really special, I wanted to really speak,

you know, like he's not just like, well, let me make a movie because like it's good to make a movie. Best director nominated for Master and Commander and for Truman Show. And for Truman Show. So he's true in a row. And for Depp poets. And wait, that's as he have four. It's four total. I believe. Yes. Those are the four, I think. Yeah. He wasn't nominated for Green Card or Furious. But two consecutive best picture. Best director. Yeah.

Truman was snub for picture, but he was nominated. Yeah. Obviously, again, with Master and Commander, it's like, you know, he's, he's a, he's undeniable. He's a one-time nominee total because also a best picture not for Commander and writing not for Green Card. He's just one of the best. Like, at this time, he's just undeniable like a totem of studio filmmaking where, at this time, the script is everything. I got to get a great script and a great star. And there's nothing more to it than that.

but it's, it's a quote that stuck with me and that same Ethan Hawke interview. He goes,

“he was that rare thing, which is an actual popular artist. He was like an artist of”

like intelligence and skill, who made entertainment. We're a thing for Ethan Hawke to respect so much. Some other minor ones that sort of crosses Desk, the Fox 2000 project, Shadow Divers. Okay. Every about sentence. He's bold. Peter's covering Hitler's Law sub. I'm not fucking rules. Who's anyone ever attached to that? I mean, that feels like another project that I occasionally hear about because it's like, it would be these like non-fiction bestsellers, right? Of course. Usually about

we're more to. And, you know, it's like, yeah, why didn't, you know, they get optioned and they sort of

pass it around. But no, it's never been made. So Peter weir says, the thing that changes. I no longer

work with the studios, right? What is he saying? Like, he's saying this in a 2012 interview, but he's saying, like, from witness through mastering commander, that's my studio period. Yeah. They no longer make those kinds of films. Someone from a studio said to me recently, we're not in that kind of business anymore. I've watched the market change. This is all from around right after, right around when last, uh, when this movie comes out. When he is not yet

claimed. He's not retired, but he's like, what's changing? But I watched the market change, moving towards what I would call children's programming. Okay, Peter. Okay. I'm surprised that even amongst acquaintances and my friends of my children in their 30s, you revisit childhood who by going to the cinema as an adult. I find that quite fascinating. I feel like when he says,

“I find that quite fascinating. He means I don't like that or I think that's stupid.”

Anyway, so he doesn't really want to make what he thinks of as a kid's movie. He wants to make a large canvas movie, which is basically what he's been doing. So he's looking around. He now does fascinating as this contraction happens that he's not like, I guess my move is looking at dead poets, looking at a, even something like fear. Like his move isn't like, you know, I've done that really well all the time. Yeah. I have made fairly small character drama. Right, so kind of a

that more widely that seems like a lane. I'm in now. And it's not like, well, I've grown out of that. Sure. Even Truman Show was kind of that, even though it's fairly large moving. The book

he reads that he in classic Peter were a fashion, which I feel like it's always the case with

the movies he makes. It's like he can't stop thinking about he can't let it go. Is this book the long walk, which allegedly details the true story, although it seems like it's a very kind of like we're not really sure. Well, it was it is. Real did it happen to the guy who wrote it to he steal someone else's story. What exactly does well. Right. And then we're herself has admitted that basically he wrote a fictional movie based on the sort of account that is questionable. What if

you escape from a Soviet labor camp in Siberia and March buy foot through Siberia, China, the Gobi Desert to bat in the Himalayas, all the way to India? And what if you had to walk so fucking far? He read an Applebaum, my coworker, an Applebaum, works at the like a her book Gulag. He gets very interested in the Gulag and like, you know, all of this and then the

feet of endurance and the tenacity of human beings and survival stories. I guess he's never really

quite made that kind of a movie, but that was kind of a movie in the 90s, really. Right. Like a lot of years says, I've gotten really interested in Gulags and American studio heads are salivating. Like it could not be swinging further away from the interests of the studios at this moment. They want, you know, Guantanamo. That's like a cool prison for us now. We don't want to see Russians in prison in 2006. You need Guantanamo-related filming. This was an era where they were all hitting

big at the box office. People wanted to see movies about Peter, you interested in imprisoning men from the Middle East or just Russians. Because we'll keep greenlighting those despite audience's telling us please stop. Now I can't, I will mispronounce the name of the author of this book. Slav a mirror, rock, jett, right? I'm not sure. I think that's correct. But BBC Radio 4 in 2006 had attempted to verify his account. They walked away being like, this is likely not true.

That's a fence of all that they walked away because that's kind of like hitting the words. He was a prisoner in the Gulag. We can't find evidence that he escaped. Possibly someone else escaped and he's telling their story, something like that. So we're gets jumpy and is kind of like, okay, well, fucking, like, I don't want to do it then if it's like, you know, controversial. But then he finds that three men had done a walk like this. Yes. And they do more research. And so he decides

“to kind of re-eficionalize it. That's why he retires the movie, not because of Stephen K. Okay.”

Because he's like, I don't want to be presented really. He's like straight adaptation of this book. It's a little, you know, muddy. He goes and talks to these people. The one guy, Glyn Skia, we'll talk Glyn Skia who lives in Cornwall. Who he said basically was like his first major

him talking to all the actors about how to do everything and what it physically felt like. Come on,

guys, one foot in front of the other. You know the deal. But basically, yeah, this guy is like a survivalist

who decided to like, it'd be an interesting challenge to see if we can do the thing from this book, did it with a group of guys. And then he basically writes a fictional movie based on this guy's account of what the emotional experience was like. Right. Name me to other people who had maybe trek through the Himalayas. But, you know, he's he's coming to it as truthful as he can. He also higher than Apple. I had no, I should have emailed him. I mean, she's a bigger shot than me, but she

does work in the Atlantic. And I've been on many a zoom with her. She in the slack. And you like, she's in slack. Yeah, I could probably see that right now. Like, hey, anything you want to tell us about Gulags? Uh, but takes on Gulags. She's on the Gulag beat for the Atlantic. You're saying,

well, she, she writes about like political oppression in Eastern Europe. Okay. Yes, that's just right

“to a lot about Russia, right? She does man the Gulag desk. I really, honestly,”

cannot be flipping about this. So I'm not being said. No, I think our joke is more than what she's doing sounds very serious. I like the idea of someone talking about political oppression in Eastern Europe and you being like, so here's who has three Oscars and why? And says, David, I wrote the book on the Gulag. And says that Peter, please, we are sending me mostly the slack. He's the musicians sounding bored. Uh, you know, and then she, she and other professors directing to survivors and all that.

Look, the way back, what you're also hearing in my like accounting of all this is this took years. Like this is his process just seems so slow. But it has, he's so meticulous. But that also used to be allowed. That also has to be forgivable for these filmmakers that prioritize like authenticity, research, very similar to and their storytelling. It used to be like, you're vaguely being paid to develop this while you do research for two years. Also, and I'm sure Master and Commander had

a similar kind of heavy lift of like approaching the time period. Yeah, so talk to that. Yeah,

“I think absolutely. On the Truman Show episode, but like because Carrie's dance card is so full,”

he gets two and a half years to prep that movie. While he waits for him to run through his other contractual obligations. And like when movies have major budgets like this and people go why did it cost as much? Sometimes like those are major factors and those are things that studios

refuse to spend money on now. I would say basically is like, we'll let you work for like a year and a

half with like a small staff to just figure out how you're going to approach them. Yeah, and he really did the most with that kind of thing. And that's the kind of thing where if you had a list actors attached, they would grant you that because they were like, well, if it's Mel Gibson, if it's Harrison Ford, if it's Russell Crow, we think we will make back that investment. Yeah. Right. The money we spend on your research. But the thing is, we'll be paid opening week. But I lament

that is obviously dead and gone that he represents. It's like, whether they knew it or not, almost every time these were forever movies. But obviously year of living dangerously is not like, you know, a basic cable classic. But buying, you know, these movies last forever. Master Commander is a great example of that where I'm just like certain that movie has gone into profit many times over now. At the time of release, it was seen as a, you know, breaking.

And even like dead poets just coming, like what it is. But that was a major hit at the time and then has just become like an abode. Yeah. But he really just had this instinct of making something that wouldn't age at all. But that was not the way they were thinking at that time. And you also imagine if Peter Rears like, cool, I'm going to like, not rush and take my time to develop this movie every six months that he spends working on this film, the chances of this getting made

in any traditional way are like, cutting half. Also, like, this only gets more old out of fashion.

“That's what I'm saying. Yeah. It's just like, as each passing year is like you're losing the”

last development exact at each studio who would maybe green light something like this and have the power to do so. No studio is making this. Instead, it's funded by exclusive media group spitfire pictures, image nation entertainment, which is the film division of Abu Dhabi and a national geographic image nation is still very active. This, but they none of these are obviously like paper a lot of shutter movies. You'll see that logo a lot. No, I know the logo very well. It's a very home. I know the

logo, and I think it's a habitat that would be weird. But that's when that's when shit gets very depressing for me of this generation or this novel of filmmaker where you see the independent cobbled together finance from all the people who are probably in jail now for one reason or another for the red granites of the world. Financial crimes in their own country

for a chunk of his epic. This is just really bad when this starts happening. I mean, but you asking, as we sit here in the shambles of Roque, the collapsing nature of being able to support things that are just obviously of interest to audience. I haven't done a deep dive on Roque. Well, we keep sending you the links. I know. I've looked at one of the articles, but like it does seem like they were like, we think there's a market for this stuff that's not really

getting picked up at film festivals right now and then they're like, and it turns out there's not a huge market. It might be a reason a lot of stuff. Yeah, Roque distributor that has like

did dead man's wire, right? Right. Basically like formed a year ago, we're like we got a lot of

financing and there's more product than there are distributors these days. There's stuff getting left at the table at festivals and also there's not enough stuff being put in the theaters will buy these movies and will back them fully and will overpay because we know we basically need to pay a tax on being so new. Of course. That filmmakers are wary to trust that we'll

“support their film. What they forgot is when you do that, you have to fail for like two years. Right.”

And instead they failed on one movie and are now in solvent. Well, and they're like five other movies they've bought that are now like, are we ever coming out of there? I sent the best trip of images to illuminate this narrative. But the stuff. Yeah. Yeah. 30 minutes later out of business. Yes. But this new market is to me like seeing that logo looking it up. This is their penultimate movie. Yeah. They're out of business. Yes. Probably when this movie is coming out.

Right. Essentially. And this is just super depressing. Yes. And this is, I mean, they're final. Do you know what? Did you look up new market? The new market chronology?

Did their first film much like National Geographic? It's another film you've covered.

Momentum. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's right. So they have this like 10 year miracle run that ends basically with this followed by the Joseph Gordon-Levitt heavy metal movie Hesher. Oh, right. And they're done. Because my mistake in that they were production company and they couldn't find a buyer from a mentor and Bob Burnie was like, fuck it. I'm going to figure out how to release this. Well, we now call a black bear. Yes. It's a bit of a black bear.

Can't find a buyer for the rifles if I can. Right. Right. They said ourselves. Well, we'll show you guys how much money there is and be keeping thrillers. They were primarily finance your production company. But then they have this run of fucking Memento, Donny, Darko, real woman have done. Darko was a giant bomb. But real women have curves. I mean, whale rider was a monster hit. And the cash in the price is the most successful and

dependent film in history. They probably didn't have a very favorable split on that with. No, with Mel. No. Mel took home the lion shirt, but it is crazy that they released passion of the price. They successfully got that movie to like record breaking numbers that records it still hold and seven years later they were. Yeah. No, they were a major player in this mid-auts boom time of kind of like big small movies. Yeah, but they could like last four years of

struggle whereas like Roke can't survive one movie. And if the way back screened at TIFF last year, Roke would have been the only place that off. Or it's like the Eden, Ron Howard's movie that's like kind of a similar Peter. That's kind of I like that movie. I don't know if you guys saw him.

“I did not care for that movie at all. I think we should all agree. It's very strong. And”

but that is to me like that was released by vertical. Yeah. But that is the state of the Peter we're type of moving out is that it's like why did this person make this? What were they thinking? Who on earth would release this? And then it comes out and everyone's like, what is this? Well, and no, to your earlier point where you're like why wouldn't at this inflection point in the industry, we're pivot back to something like dead poets' society that is easier to make three

more of them. Right, because it's like that movie had a budget that maybe a studio wouldn't give him, you know, the answers you can find. Do that anymore. He says I want to work on a big camera. I was about not interested. Yeah. So like right, you could more easily make a cheaper version of dead poets' society than you can make a cheap version of the way back. But I do think there's almost like a lifestyle creep, a like scale creep. You say I'm Peter Weir's ballin. Like he needs the

money. It's beyond that, I think these guys get addicted to the challenge of how difficult it is to mount these big productions, especially if you're successful at doing it, you know how to do it and maintain the story thread within it and like hold on to dramatic, you know, in artistic integrity,

“then I think it's hard for you to scale down. Like really Scott is a weir. I thought a lot about”

Ridley's perception who will just throw in a like fucking good year. I thought about Ridley Scott with this movie a lot because they're very similar in a lot of ways in the scope of what they do and in their kind of hit ratio for ever movies. For some reason Ridley's got just figured out how

to never slow down. Well, he works fast and the movies he makes can be a little sloppy as a result

although often they really are good. He also, you know, works with big stars which I feel like Peter Weir is

also really dreary and about survival and like, you know, it's these people who went to live on an island and it's like, it's based on a true story and they're like, what do you think happened when in 1931 like a bunch of randos decided to live on like a random island of the Galapagos Islands? I'm like did it go badly and they're like, oh yeah, it did. We were hoping to surprise you with that. Like you don't even mean where they're like 50 minutes in they're like, it's starting to get worse.

And I was like, yeah, I called that from the beginning. Jude Law and Sidney Sweeney. We're not going to recreate society. Sure, but that movie was also hang on, cure five of the hottest people. They don't look like that. Okay, I don't do sex. That's a curvy to restart society. Sidney Sweeney showed up. She shows on hoarse and trouble. No, that's the thing here. It's like, it's like, oh, it's Anna Darmas and Sidney Sweeney and you're like, oh, do they look good?

It's like, no, they're like starving and like their pieces are dirty. God, David's really throwing some shade on these, the movie's so accurate. This is here. Yeah. They thought it was solid to a fault. This is the same with their number. Where everyone's like, oh, Nuremberg is good.

“That's what we're trying to do. That's not fair. Second best movie in the air.”

And I'm like, no, you guys are forgetting how good these movies used to be. That movie's stunk. Like, it's no good. And it's all gray and like, it's anyway, forgetting how good they

used to be. The way back. There's always a temptation to cast a nationality. We are says,

but that gets in practical. Sure. He didn't want all American. He didn't want all English guys doing accents. So he wants a mix of guys. He sure gets a mix. When Ed Harris started talking where you guys like, that's cool. He's just not doing a voice. Yes, I do. I think he briefly go like, oh, so right, are we just doing, but then like Colin is like, oh, he's American speaking Russian. Like, you have to end up like, okay, so we're not doing that. I'm not doing it. I'm going to

respect it though. Because I'm going into the movie originally thinking I'm going to hear Ed Harris full Irish broke, right, for two hours and 10 minutes. And then the movie starts and I'm like, Ed Harris could be playing, I mean, I don't know. It got this cold in Ireland. I'm looking at

“this poll. I'm like, that's why the potatoes died. They froze. Like, the Arctic Circle here. This”

is crazy. So Ed Harris is, obviously, has already worked a bit of weird. Yeah. They respect each other. Yeah. And so that's another weird supercal in there is kind of keeping people not forever. Yeah. A couple, a couple, a couple, forwards, couple males. Sure. Yeah. A couple of heads. Yeah. Interesting that Ed. I don't have a couple heads. But Ed's like his like in the pocket supporting MVP both times. Yeah, for sure, for sure. And it might not surprise you guys to hear that in this making of a special

feature, Ed Harris seemed really activated by how difficult this shoot was. And I'm not he was, no, he was really into, I think he's also just into Peter, we're, because Peter, we're similarly intense with us. Let's fucking figure out like, what bread they ate or whatever. You know what I mean? Like, let's do deep research. Yes. Get into the character. Ed Harris, he's obviously in the news lately with the arm candy for Amy Matt again. Yeah. He's just the fucking best. He does wrong. Just like,

one of these, like, he has been, he's never, ever been bad. Truly. And has never really been given

credit for how consistently awesome he has. Okay. That's a great question. Like, what? What is Griffin Harrison where you're like, because he does a ton of movies where he's like, okay, he's phoning this. But that is to me. I stopped watching Westworld, but that's no point. I loved him. He was wrong. And he started giving interviews where he's like, well, I'm phoning it in now because they changed the character and I don't like this new. It is right. This is true that

they kind of like twist by the way, now you're a robot and he said he was sick of it. He was still good. He was like, I signed up to play the man in black. Now I'm the man in white. I'm phoning it in now. But like, I'm looking through here. Ian McCellan said that once upon a time. I don't think I have seen and embarrassing at Harris perform. I could embarrass himself if he tried. Like, I haven't seen radio, but I imagine he acquits himself better than anyone else in the cast of that film. That's

pretty close though because I haven't seen that. It's embarrassing that he's in it. Sure. I would say that's also the era. This sort of post he got to a bunch of noms era. Yeah, that early 2000s where you kind of feel like him trying to sniff for an Oscar over to the other side. He's on the poster. Well, probably got so close. Well, but then see a beautiful mind which he's good in. He's really good at it. And me if it gates were he rocks. I was thinking of him. He's going to ask him and

they were talking about great Russian war narrative. The hours which is an undeserved Oscar now. He's not like bad in it. But that that's my least favorite part of the hours. It's on movie I like. That's when he felt like he's an ordinary and it's inevitable. He's going to get

on so you know what I've never seen is the human stain which is a book I love. Right. I've seen that

either. But and he has he has the most interesting part. And it fits the part from the book that I

“remember. But I had no you know that was forgotten. But I also think he's starting to get into this”

era where like um beautiful mind for whatever reason I was like driven to rewatch the trailer recently because I was like is my memory correct about this that the marketing of the movie was just selling the fucking CIA shit so hard. He's the other name on the post. Exactly. This poster is Russell Crow Ed Harris. No, it's Russell Crow. A beautiful mind. Yeah. Ed Harris. Ed Harris. But like Jennifer

that movie was so cool. But I can't. He's not real. Right. You can't put him in the trailer. That movie

sold itself as a badass story about a cool CIA analyst. And so the trailer and all the marketing was so at Harris heavy. And then you watch the movie and you're like oh Ed Harris is the red herring. And I feel like history of violence is the same thing. Well he's obviously remarkable in that he's so great. But like you're like this should have been an Oscar nominee like well but then William correct was done by her. Right. The same kind of thing happens with Jennifer Connelly and like

he's there's he's used in a way that's making it easy to take him for granted because you don't

“walk out of the movie thinking about his. We haven't even started. Did you guys rewatch Pollock recently?”

No, it is. It is so good. Yeah. Pollock. It is such a good movie. He's so good in it. Yeah. Well he directed Apple Luzer. Do you ever see that? He wrote Apple Luzer. I believe directed to I directed it. Let me look it up. Did he direct the Beethoven movie? Beethoven. No, I can't tell you. I forgot saying the same thing. I'm trying to tear you up here. Yes, it. You had written directed. Written and directed. I saw Apple Luzer.

Apple Luzer. Did you see Apple? I've never seen Apple Luzer. Do love a modern western.

Right. It's very solid. It feels like he kind of wanted to go. I always confuse it with Hidalgo because they both have Vigo and they both have names or you're like yeah. Yeah. I guess it was a place and Hidalgo is a horse. Correct. Yeah. But those are the only two movies he directed. He's interesting. He hasn't done more of that. He's just I interviewed him and he was so scary as I brought up many times on this part.

Jim Sturgis makes a comment in a special feature saying like I always pity the P.A. who had to go up to Hed Harris and tell him you can't perhaps were ready. Pity the fool. He pity his the fool. Okay. Jim Sturgis. See him into kill a mockingbird. Yes, I interviewed him full of to kill a mockingbird. That was why you knew him. He was good. You can't act like talking about Hed Harris isn't talking about this.

Yeah. Can I bring up the Hed Harris stuff relevant to this movie? I want to say finish your anecdote. No, no, no, sorry. You interviewed at Harris. No, he's fine.

“What were you going to say? What were you going to say? What were you going to say?”

What was the love Sturgis? He's got a lot of Sturgis things. No, that he was like he likes the good burn so much that they talked about they built a set for the woods where they could control the elements just in case like, you know, the scheduling didn't line up. They tried to shoot most of this movie chronologically. So they had a large indoor woods set that they could redress and have a snow machine or have sand or whatever the fuck. And Ed Harris would like

get to set every day and be like, Peter, come on, let's just go out there. Let's just go out there and do it. If it's snowing, we'll wake all these guys up at two o'clock in the morning. Everyone would do it that he like really wanted to be in pain. Yeah, he was good in love lies bleeding also. He's great and he's great in love lies bleeding. He's good. He's a guy who's now to fall. The only problem with love lies bleeding is he's like, I'm your dad and I'm like,

you're like 70 years old. He's so cool. But that guy's still fucked. He's it's like devolving. We were saying after he died, it's just like this guy just was awesome forever. Yeah, he was awesome forever. And also was a guy where you ever was like, yeah, but he's like, kind of scary in a pain in the ass. And you're like, yeah, I don't give a shit. Like, suddenly, because he has such an intense amount of integrity for the craft of act. Yes.

The other Ed Harris anecdote was that they he was like, you know, they were saying that when they be setting up, Ed Harris would like wander off like a hundred miles away from wherever one else was far and just stand by himself. And he was like, it's great being a nature. You're in these places where no one is. And you can just like, Clint Eastwood, you can really hear things.

“We are comparison to Clint Eastwood. So it's like, I think he has a rid of a Clint thing. Yeah,”

he was like, this is the privilege of being away from all the noise. And the coffeening,

you can actually listen to nature. So to make a movie, there's always 140 fucking people

happen about. Sorry. And it just is like, so one day Ed Harris, like, the PA comes over and Ed Harris just starts screaming can everyone be quiet for five minutes. We need to connect to the land before we film. And then everyone's saying like, and he was right. And it was incredible how different the next take was like, this is all the stuff in the interviews. Sure. What that felt there was like, I'd squat tattoo. Yeah, like then in the way back, which of course I assume with this point has been

nominated for 10 more Oscars. Yeah, and that it's like, do you know that like Vincent Denafrio gained 60 pounds for full metal jacket? Like everyone assumes they're telling the stories that we'll go down to history about the commitment to the craft and the struggle in this movie. David. Yes. You got any big summer plans? If you're traveling, you got late nights, pack weekends, your road structure, any of those keeping AG1 in your routine helps you stay

consistent. That's a loaded word right there. Consistent. Yes. When everything else gets,

look. It's a daily health drink with a multivitamin. Yep. Free and pro biotic. Yep. Superfoods.

“Mm-hmm. And anti-oxidants. It's an all-star lineup. One scoop. Eight ounces of water. You just shake it.”

There you go. That's it. You drink it. It takes 30 seconds. I know you drink it every single day. What's your favorite flavor right now? Right now, I'm actually really big into Barry. I've been cycling through them. I've been, I've really been enjoying this Barry phase. I will say this as well, David. You said it wherever you are. I'm about to go away for six weeks, and you better believe I just ordered a whole box of travel packs so that I don't have to travel unarmed.

I had no doubt. So visit drinkag1.com/check to get your free morning person hat and free AG1

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that's an 82 dollar value, drink that's drinkag1.com/check. When I wear that hat, it's going to be so ironic. Yes. I don't like the mornings. No, but I love you, G1. Yes.

“I know your question. That's the problem. And you're a part of the title list.”

Give this a try, more. I'll tell you about further highlights we, House of the Dragon and Wicked. And it's up to you two euro at the 90th month. Streaming, but not so, wow. Jim Sturgis, a sendant, as we said, possibly. We're says he saw across the universe. Okay, if you say so. You're questioning whether he saw it. It doesn't really feel like something he'd run to,

not playing with the Beatles. Yeah, maybe. He thought he had a quality. And then he said, in meeting him, he has a very interesting manner. He's got a kindness to him. I was keen to not have a typical hero. I'm willing to believe that Peter, we are feels this way. My whole thing which

Jim Sturgis is I'm like, he never has read as much of anything to me. Even watching the movie.

He's fine. He's like an adequate looking guy who's fine. He blends in with like these other five guys in the movie. There's no doubt that at this time we're told like, this is a guy that you really want to put in the center of the movie. And you're probably like, you know, he'll do it. Like, he'll fucking do four months in Bulgaria for you. You want to do it. He wants to be like, I'm getting like the real serious actor heavy lift ship. You also, you talk about this

phenomenon all the time. But like the guy who is bankable, who you can get a green light for any project with this guy for like exactly two weeks. We're Hollywood's just like, we think if we invest in this guy now two years from now he will be worth five times as much as we paid. So he is like a go picture green light activator. I mean, and it's a guy who either has like hits that you can't credit to him or hasn't had a hit yet, but the charisma is so strong in movies that didn't make money.

But this is when I don't understand, because he's in the charisma now. So that's the. Okay, but we want to remember what we're kind of wants here clearly is like Mel Gibson and Gallipoli. Yes, sure. I want to be finding someone with a bit of a who's young but has a little bit of earth to him or so. But like across the universe was a colossal bomb. It was incredibly close to seven.

“Oh, seven. Then in 2008, he's in the other Berlin girl, which is a movie that I think like made”

it's budget back and did find, but was really poorly received. And I do not, I don't remember him in that. He's the, he's the fucking, he's in the poster band. Well, because band is doing this. One girl is her thinking. He's, he's, he's ambulance brother. I was going to say he's the other Berlin guy. He is the other Berlin girl. But across the universe sort of a, the Rosencrantz and Gildensterner dead of the other Berlin franchise. He was a, a Julie's him or discovery. Yes. This is Amy Pascal our Sony across the

universe is delayed for a long time and Amy Pascal loved like discovering stars and like keeping them in the stable and betting on them. So they throw him on to 21, which is also Sony. And he's the face of that movie. Like he's a front center on the poster. And that one is a hit. Yeah, to the starlight, they let spacey be frank in that movie. There's only one reason you make the money. Let him be frank. And so that movie has made money like it made like 80 mill domestic. Like it was like a saw. And

after that, I mean, I assume we're getting close to when this movie starts to be made, but he's tossing over. Yes. A woke crash. Right. Uh, which which went nowhere. That was also delayed for year. Right. Because Sean Penn was in it. And he demanded they cut him out of it. There was a whole

to get his whole story chunk. Uh, removed. Uh, he Bob Honey do stuff. He was in the film a heartless

directed by the Great Philip Ridley, which I've never seen, which is sort of like the last time

read Ridley made a movie. This year, obviously, as the insane one, two punch of way back in legend of the Guardians of the House of Kahool. He's the main voice in Kahool. Right. I mean, so I mean, at this point, he was his agent is basically just imagining like how big, how big a vault will I need for the gold coins? I'm going to be making off this guy. And then one day with Anne Hathaway and Cloud Atlas are like the last two movies of what feel like the things that he got on after 21. Cloud Atlas is

one of my favorite movies. And it's one of those things where you're like, oh, right. And Jim Sturgis. Yeah. You know, like all the other guys, you're like, cool. And then he's there, too. Because then it's five years of movies you haven't heard. And then like Dean Devlin tries to make him the hero at the center of Gio Storm. And then it goes back into movies you've never heard of.

“I think he's done some TV. Uh, no way. No way. No way to know. They're kind of his no way to”

know, but he was the star of feed the beast. Of course. Uh, on AMC. And then he was the star of

home before dark on Apple TV with Brooklyn Prince. Of course. And then he was the star of Jesus mixed tape, which appeared on binge. Yeah. Why are you saying this? We all know. Fuck is going on. You're wasting airtime. Okay. So he cast Jim Sturgis like that sounds great. It just feels very, yeah. Like Griffin says. It's like, if you need a guy of this age, he's, you know, I'm sure 10 people passed on this. Right. But like 10 years earlier, it's,

or not even like five years earlier. It's, it's you and McGregor or it's Colin Farrell or it's, you know, Dylan Hall. Yeah. With Farrell as we often will hear about Farrell. I feel like they meet and Peter was like, he's really fucking fun to talk to and hang out with. He had the, like, I was not going in thinking this was his part. He walked out with the part. He's relishing. I feel like this is this to Eastern promises in terms of art. It was so seven. Maybe not. Yeah.

It is. Yeah. It was seven. Really? Yeah. It was like nine or ten. It's seven. Okay. So tolerance for like tattooed Russian convicts is high. Through the roof. The cue score is immense. The public is demanding it. They're angry every time they show up in a theater and that kind of guy does it in show up. Where's a guy with like a weird knife that he talks to? This performance, I found very subtle in moving. Oh, yeah. Ben, I do. I fucking love what I love about the way back.

Yeah. Is that you're like, okay, then they're all going to die. And we're like, no, actually only a couple. And some of them will just kind of stop walking for other reasons. They're just like, you know what, I'm tapping out. Yeah. Parals just like, ah, Mongolia. I fucking love stalling though. I was like, actually, bummed. He didn't get a big dramatic death thing. We're just a big dramatic anything. Yeah. And this is a tattooed crazy convict whose best friend is a knife.

“It cost us. What did you think of this part of the movie and the general dryness of this movie?”

Well, it was a subtle performance. Best friend is a knife. His best friend is a knife. You know, it's like, one of the few objects he has left. Yeah. So, of course, I understand why it's so important to him. Reminding him of, you know, before he became, I mean, a ghoulock prisoner. If Ferrell wasn't going big in this movie, it would be tough. I was like, I was like,

he never even else is pretty low key in this movie. Ferrell getting the and in this movie.

It starts immediately. Ferrell has the juice. And I'm like, I'm going to hate it when he's out at the end of the first act. Right. Right. Because he's so frontloaded that the only reason he would get the and as if he hasn't early exit. And so it's no more strong. Yeah. It sits in the first act. And Ferrell exits in the second act. Yes. Okay. But Russian prison tattoos are fucking awesome. And it was definitely something that went across my desk at one point in my life.

There's like that book that was everywhere. Exactly. It was like a urban outfitters on the counter

“of Russian tattoos. That's why you have those diamonds on your kneecaps. Right. Well, of course.”

Search her own in. I mean, there's no, you don't need to explain casting her. Yeah. But as Peter we were says, she's got an old soul. She's, you know, so talented. But I mean, like, obviously, you fucking cast her. My experience watching this movie last night. You see her, her, just her frame off in the distance. Right. The guy sees someone walking towards something. And that was like, oh my god. Yes. Here we go. Search her on. No wait. This is one of those movies where she still

a trial. Right. Just immediately was like, oh, right. She's a little kid mess. Yeah. I mean, she's probably, I think there's a, hey, you see. Go Jeffrey Epstein email to that same, that same affair almost definitely. She would have been about 15 or 16 when she really. Yeah. Okay. Yes, he's all. Yeah. When's it, Tony? Isn't it, Tony? It's home in so seven. You're favorite, you, the year you can't remember. Right. Yeah. And then lovely bones as a wait and city of Ember

is a nine. Well, everyone knows that. Everyone knows that. I haven't checked in with the city of Ember recently going great. So this film was shot in Bulgaria and Morocco. Some shooting in India. I think right for the end. So the Bulgarian forest became the Siberian forest crazy. Morocco is the Gobee Desert crazy. Okay. Cool. They weren't actually going to be able to film in the real

has like old Soviet or studios. They're being used now. I mean, this is how you make the fucking

any movie these days. Sure. Yeah. Um, and they had to shoot on location. It was an advantage. Visually is a venture psychologically. I wanted to create true motion for the artists in the connect with these people. I mean, you know, it's what you're talking about, Griffin. It's like they're all talking about this movie with so much integrity and so seriously. And it was so fucking hard to make it and they're all giving these interviews. I assume because these all interviews are all from January 2011

being like, but it was all worth it to make the way back. I just want the listener to know that ARP has entered the bathroom. We just need to know clearly. I think give some space to make sure no toilets are broken. No oops are loudly uttered. I just want to I just we're a little bit on edge until we hear the flush, right? Just knowing the history of ARP in this bathroom. Um, I was going to find if there's any other, you know, there's nothing else that's like really that

interesting about how they made this movie to me, honestly. It is a shot of location was really hard. Yeah. We were kept saying he had this running bit and the making of thing about how he had to approach casting the locations like he was casting actors because they couldn't film in most of the real places that they walked through. So that's like which country is going to double for which other country. But this movie truly like had four months of filming across multiple continents.

Right. Right. And then the film exits production and doesn't have a distributor. Yeah. Like they

“can't find or just now it is like it's post for session I guess. Like that's what we're saying.”

Okay. We're here in a flush. We're here in a flush. All good so far. Okay. The seat is down. Okay.

But like it basically takes until they play it to tell you right in film festival and

New Market signs on. So that's in September 2010. Right. So like it really was like touching go if this was even going to get released in 2010 I guess. Yeah. I'm sure you remember. It was just on all these lists of like and maybe there's a transfer like a new house career. They're like a focus on campaign Harris career capital. But there was usually it's not. There's a Peter wear movie that many people haven't seen but like it might be able to score

in a few categories and then looking through it. It's like it basically got zero per cursor norms anywhere, not even critics groups and then just kind of got the surprise makeup nominated. You've pointed out like both publicly and privately that even by this time the strategy of like the Oscar hopeful movie comes out December 25th was just kind of cooked. It's like nightmare. Even then you couldn't you couldn't do it. Put it in there that late especially with like a

distributor that's probably like at that point just one person sitting on the floor and an empty

“office answering the front. Right. It's like if you're going to do that you need to push like”

incredibly major campaign to get it like in front of everyone in this movie. It's like no, but they walk. They're skin got so dry and people are like, Uh-huh. Ben and Ben and you like the dryness. Right. One of the one of the drier movies. It's very dry because you're probably because you're watching mosquito coaster like this is the damp and muggy. I don't like this. Yeah. No. It looked really unpleasant with too buggy. Except for the mosquito part of this

movie, which is fucked up. It's so fucked up. I have to say that it looked unpleasant being in the desert. So you figured walking through the desert by yourself with no possessions would be easy, but actually it seems like pretty shitty. Yes. Ben, you were saying that you ran out of your Los Angeles that you're fixated on now. Have you considered sucking on pebbles? Hot pebbles? Not just any pebble. Yeah. It'll keep your mouth sell.

It'll get a little extra out of that. You don't have to keep buying them. You can just find them and carry them around in your pocket. Yeah. You save money less sugar intake too by far. I kept thinking you know pebbles have almost no sugar. It's actually crazy we don't eat them all but let's surprise people if Ben came in one day saying like you know what I've started doing is sucking

“on rocks. I think I'd be a little so large. I didn't say you'd be a wouldn't be a lot. I said you”

wouldn't be surprised. And then we climbed up selling bags of rocks. I'd become a rock influencers. It's my new diet trick. Yeah. Ross suck on rocks. I kept it working. I mean everyone this movie is shedding the pounds. That's true. Yeah. They're looking true. I'd be funny if like good stuff sorcerer kept getting fatter. I'm like how are you doing this? Like there's one guy on this. It's got a stash of fluff. Yeah. He's like saying much as right. Yeah. I actually found a cotton candy

machine and I wouldn't tell you guys. That's always a good bet. Did you overall like this movie?

I think this movie is pretty good. Yes. I sat like I was basically like dreading watching it a little bit and certainly there are parts of it that are that are sad

I like I just felt like it wasn't too heavy on the like Revenant style. This was so punishing. Sure.

“You must be punished as they were punished. I hate this thought. Many times I'm watching the film.”

Like I definitely prefer this to the Revenant because it's not doing that. It's not like shoving your face into the dog shit. Yeah. And like the many a true story type movie that we won't don't you understand like how bad this wasn't. I'm like yes. I'm a maybe it's because I

thought I never thought this movie was that. Just because it was at a time where that wasn't

really in Vogue of like the point of this movie is a miserable well experience. But my other fear of course was there's going to be kind of treatly of this sort of like the human spirit right in tears, which it doesn't have that at all. It's not that at all. I think the end is truly like right. See you guys instead it has like lovely little moments that I like of dialogue and like he's just such a there's so much stuff in the middle of the movie where like just his eye is so great.

Like his some of the like this is a guy appear where you know he's making people wait around to get a 10 second shot at sunset. Totally. You know he's making everyone stand in one place for 45 minutes until the sun is perfect for a shot that serves no narrative. And the shot is worth it. It doesn't feel like it's indulgence, right? It doesn't feel like it's sort of himself stylized.

And that Harris is there like shadow boxing being like this is what we're here for. Yeah.

Just wait in the hot settings. Right. They feel like everyone's on board.

“Right. Right. Right. That's what I want to be doing. They're like the focus. They like the discipline.”

Do you like survival? That's what I was going to ask for this dream movie. Because you're talking about the revenue which doesn't occur to me at all. I'm watching this thinking like Pappy on runaway train. Sure. I'm thinking of like people who break out of jail and the movie is like if you don't keep moving you will get caught and you will die because you guys famously are outdoorsy people love hiking. So I was wondering how you related to that aspect.

I mean I simply would not do this. I know what I would you survive. I'm in the movie way back at minute five I eat a bowl of bullets. I just swallow that. I did. I'm in the Gulag. I kept saying to fork you like I think by this point I'm dead by this point I'm definitely dead like dead here dead here. Yeah. I think Griffin would do well in the Gulag. I don't think you'd want to leave. That's actually not a guy's being like hey I

I drew like a naked lady on a piece of paper. You know three cigarettes please. Three hots in a pot. I don't think they got a lot of hots or a pot. Okay it was pretty rough there. One cold and a floor. Yeah it's kind of more than half cold and a floor. I do like a mattress. So that's that's maybe where I'd be struggling but I do think I'd make friends. I'm imagining you showing up to the Gulag and they're like what's your name when you're like

just FYI I do like a mattress. I feel like Griffin's role in my file. Yeah. It's role in the way back is kind of Rob Schneider and Judge Dred where you're just walking across the wasteland everyone's like this guy is still talking. That's the meanest thing you've ever said to me. If you were in the way back, not in real life but I think if it was life or death I think that would be the vibe you bring. I think I'd be at the midpoint between that and

March-Strong. Okay. Right where it's like this guy doesn't really want to escape. Right. I like that consensual way to care and you're that guy. It's like he's hungry. That's the March-Strong. Right. He talks about is the next thing is a way to kind of write or you'd be like Mr. Burns when is the fighting health or the flying health fish flashback? Can he wakes up on the cotton? They're like hey you're not dead. Yes. I would just sit to your

like papyons and movie I find a smidge. It's a bit bit of a slog. It's got cool stuff. Run away train I like because one it's on a train. Well that's true. And two that movie is bananas. Cold. Like it is cold but I mean like that's something where John Voight was like bigger and the director was like uh-huh and John Voight was like what if I went even bigger? The director was like uh-huh and they just kept going and going. Yeah. I narrowed Robert.

He's insane in that movie. Do you see it on a train? Yeah. Yeah. Some movies are more like to me because this is a World War II movie but not really. This is very not barely at all right. But it fits into our at home syllabus of World War II but even rewatching it is interesting because the Russian the Russian experience of World War II was entirely inscrutable to Americans.

You're never taught it. It's not part of history. I mean it is but it's not part of the history you

learn. And the average person couldn't describe even vaguely what Russia was doing during World War II because they're both like average American. Yeah, average of all. Yes, not the average human on earth but like it is very hard to understand. Yeah. And this movie is that but it also sort of. I mean well I mean literally partially but you know it's a World War II movie in spirit but it has no combat. It's not about these and these are all enemies of the Soviet Union. Yeah. Which is why they're in the

“Gulag. But you know who else was enemies of the Soviet Union? Eight-old Hitler. Yeah, see that's why”

people get confused about this. They sure do. It's like if they were fighting against the Nazis why are they imprisoning people who seem okay? And it becomes very confusing and as Anna wanted

anyway. Right. And they were using this as a fine opportunity to continue their essentially

“reign of terror. And I like this setup. I mean it's just I guess historically accurate but”

that the Gulags at this point in time are like half criminals, half political criminals. Right. So you got guys that Colin Farrell alongside guys like Ed Harris who's just like an engineer who moved to Russia for work and is now right. That's a version. And so he's you know in like Janus Jimster just is Polish. And of course the Soviets conquered Poland when they were allied with Hitler. His wife sells him out at the beginning of the movie. I mean assuming that she's

coerced into right. Right. And then she thinks he will break. Right. Yes. In interrogation. I mean I I agree with you guys that this movie is good. Right. Like I it's like pretty good. I mean I did not think it was a masterpiece. I was like I was sort of a little you know well. But I had fairly low expectations. So I was like right. No. This is a well-made movie and he's a good director and what was I thinking? I just don't think he could

fumble. Even with him. Even with half the resources he wants. His eye, his instincts like

I hate this phrase. I hate when people are like to director always knows exactly where to put the

camera. So does everybody in front of the actors like this is an insane sentence. But his instincts of like visual storytelling are so muscular even in a drama, even in dead poet society. He can't ever frame things in a way that you're not like this is cool looking. This place feels real. These actors are in the moment and he's in complete control and this movie is totally solid. Like I'm not saying it's even you know it could only not be in the top five of his because his

highs are untouchable. But I mean the response to it or the new market dumping of it. It's non-existence is totally undeserved. Well it's a really strong representation of this exact moment in film history where things are just kind of like falling apart and no one knows you know like is there a way to make these movies anymore? Well I find it fascinating and called it months ago. Yes. It's because it is that to me and he's really just you know I mean he was just he would have been

the top of anyone. I'm sure there was a time where he was ahead of Ridley Scott on people's list.

“Yeah. I also I think like he never made like what's it thinks like you know he didn't have a”

way in a really terrible 90s. I mean like in between film and movies and gladiator Ridley makes movies gladiator. Why would you rather watch white squal or master and commander? It's tough master and commander. Okay. It's a toss up. You're saying that's a toss up. Oh yeah. Both of these guys took to the sea. It was short. Right. But I think the dead are actually similar results. I think the better the better comparison is if gladiator had performed or rather if master and commander had performed

the way the gladiator dead. Both financially and at the Oscars. What do the next 15 to 20 years of Peter? Right. But I also feel like versus that was like the second way that like gets to the next 25 years of Ridley's shot being unstoppable. Peter, we are could have made gladiator. Ridley Scott could not have made master and commander. I think Ridley Scott could have made master and commander just wouldn't have been as good. Well I love course he could have made it and

“he might have but it would have not been. I gladiator and Peter weirds hands is I think equally great”

movie. Yeah. This is my struggle with this film and I think I put it at the bottom of my weird

rankings. A lot of I think the guys never made a bad film. So I'm just writing. He's definitely putting

it at the bottom. Things three and above. You know like this you don't like war. I don't like war. They're a real for a absolutely I'm flat footed at shit. I got bone spurs in my arms. I got bone spurs in my brain. I think what I was struggling with and it's frustrating because I'm like it is because Peter weirds so much integrity has such like control of the dial and it's like not compromising the story to meet the sort of like commercial demands of the moment

that I felt like I was struggling to find a handle on it. I think this film is like impeccably made. I think basically everyone in the cast is like good to great. Like Sturgis is probably the worst and he's solid. He just doesn't really register and everyone above him is like shades of excellent. All the sort of stuff that could be seen as like pervato we're going to go out

here in struggle. I'm going to fight to get like a 10 second shot just to prove that I'm like

this serious of an hour. It's like all of that is on screen. None of that is like performative chest bumpy shit. But I kept being like do I need this movie to have 10% of some Hollywood bullshit in some area? Do I wish this had like 10% more adventure? Because basically from the moment they escape it's just we have a really long way to walk. The conflict is are we going to die before we finish

we're being chased shit. I don't want Tommy Lee Jones on their back. But from the moment they

escape and the escape is not that much of a movie. No. Right? Then you're just sort of in like step aside. Is this a funeral march? Right? How many guys are going to die? How long is this going to go on for? The other thing is you keep thinking like well for example we'll compare. I'll turn on people. He's obviously the wild card right? He can't be trusted. We'll search her own and she's introduced where it's like what's this girl's deal? She's lying about her background and the

answer is like she lies because like she wants to have a more sympathetic sounding background and my parents are political distance. Yeah. Like no more lies. That's on a quote. Right. But like it keeps not doing the more dramatic swirling of like they fight with each other. We're trying to speak to each other. Which I respect. I'm respecting that it's not doing the endurance of the human spirit. They don't fucking come across like a bear that tries to eat them. I just might have been

fun though. There's no the wolves are settled really quickly. Yeah. Any time it gets everyone is very respectful to her? Yes. Right. There's not like a creepy sexual element in her character. And who dynamic with that Harris is probably my favorite part of the movie. But as you said these are all like really small, graceful character brush strokes. Even this is a beautiful moment. You're right. Like the snake is not a take attack. He's actually following the snake. Because the one on a said why does

that look good to me when they're eating the snake? Because when hungry people are eating in a movie,

they make it look good. Yeah. But it basically keeps those wolves looked great. I mean that

“that's what that scene happened. It's like even in 2010 you're like shit. He got real wolves. That's”

like a Peter. We're not fucking around with CG wolves. Like it basically goes down to the actors. Like keep your hands. Yes. Keep your hands with the wolves can see that totally. They're they're not trained. It refuses to like turn any of these things into like Roland Emerick's set pieces. Right. It refuses to like create like artificial interpersonal drama between the people. There are moments and their attentions and whatever. And I just kind of kept being like I'm having a hard time staying

with this because it just feels like yeah this sucks. I agree this sucks. And it continues to suck. And I don't mean this backhandedly. But I kept thinking while watching this movie and then watching this fucking special feature of all of them talking about how difficult it was. And I'm like that's not in vain. All of that is on screen. But I like flashback to being in an act in class of my 20s with the Gradle as Bethcam RIP who is the best acting teacher I ever worked with. And there was a

guy who wanted to do a long days journey into night. And in this class rather than just like do the text of the scene she'd be like work on the character and then present to us like a moment. If it's a private moment or an improvised thing. But I don't want you thinking about how to say the dialogue right. I want you to try to explore your take on the character. Right. And so the guy just leans into playing the the sickness. And he's just sort of like curled up in a ball sort of like an

alcohol withdrawal like shaking and crying. And we just watched this for like seven minutes. And I'm sitting there being like God, this guy's a good fucking actor. This is crazy. I don't have this kind of like physical control and like emotional like you know recall and whatever. And then she goes like um are you are you done? Do you feel like you've done everything you wanted to show us? And he's like uh yeah I guess so and she goes good. Okay so now we know you can do that. Right. You

“feeling yeah. What did you probably told the story about what did you bring into this session?”

That's a good question. You rolled into a ball? 70 minutes. I feel like I was doing Tom and Glassman Azurey. But then I also remember I you weren't allowed to like bring in you know like I'm on all of the usual suspects or something. Yeah. Did you could have okay. Uh in fact I probably did at some point bring in some movie character. But uh I also ended up getting thrown into other people's scenes a lot where it's like that part of it's like well this this woman's working on

proof can you be the Jake Gillen Hall part and I'd be like great I'm really good at improvising math. So what did you think who did you think was okay so now that we know you can do that in this movie where or I think the whole movie has a little bit of that vibe where it was like it's not that this is showy it's not that this is you know hollow this is like incredibly skillful and is like

rooted in something really honest and like powerful. But then she said like we know you can do that

but like now let's work on how can you actually tell a story and it's not that I feel like this movie isn't telling a story but I kept feeling like unlike the revenue which I feel like as I said is pushing your face in the dog shit and saying like can you believe how hard this is and

“trying to make you suffer along with the characters? I think this movie is maintaining a distance”

and is showing you the suffering that is mirroring whatever one was going through while working on the film and I'm sitting there a little bit and going like I agree this is like very impressive that they did this this is objectively insane to consider any human beings going through this.

G. I. Joe PSA at the end. Do you like castaway? I love castaway. Okay. Which is very small to see but

it's very small to see and I'm not begging this movie to be a small to see but I do feel like castaway has the kind of like Hollywood building blocks. He needed a Wilson. Yeah well and truly like

“they send out promotional knives for this movie. Yeah wait. Did you get a promotion for this movie?”

New market was famous for their swag. Pomeento had some extra most of. But I was like if this has an electric young leading man does it carry me through the whole thing. Yeah I mean I know I know surges is really taking some hits from us today but I do feel like he's not bad but he's just not kind of just fine but he's I think if you stacked up everywhere movie and you rank the lead performances he's the bottom. No question. And only because that is literally Mount Rushmore.

Right. He's a rare guy that really did not pop in the hands of we are. I mean even he launched

the career of Napoleon and fucking Billum Ted's excellent adventure. You know you know what might it maybe help what and this is a part of the book that was not included in the film. There are Yeti-like creatures in the Himalayas that they mentioned spotting a pair of Yeti. It would be funny if like one hour and 55 minutes into the movie they're like oh and by the way we fucking saw the abominable snowman. Anyway moving on back to Indy you know like what is it?

And the snowman takes them inside his layer and they're tied up and they have to escape.

“That's what happens in Tintin into bet not to spoil it. Wow. Right. But Griffin in Lang.”

Yeah. In the hopeless survival narratives like the moment where they come to the gates of where they've been going. Sure. And there's like Stalin on the gates and they're like oh this is coming into Stu. We have to just turn around. Yeah. Does that not satisfy the urge of like a tragic ironic story beat? That beat is very interesting. But it's played very quietly. I really liked that beat because I like them being like fuck like it's everywhere and we are enemies of this

particular ideology. So we can't go like we can't settle here. This is where I am just personally struggling with the film and not making a larger indictment. Right. I mean I love calling for something like I like Stalin too much to go here. I love it as well. But I'm like this is a fascinating scene in of itself. I'm really engaged in this scene. The scenes aren't like building upon each other for me and it's just the nature of what the narrative is. We're the fact that it's like oh they

get here and there's this like dramatic irony of oh now we have to like find another way. But also five minutes earlier the movie lost Colin Ferrell the most interesting character because he was like I don't want to get to that ideological threshold. And now I'm like okay so now the movie's like hit a cold a sack and also we lost Colin Ferrell who's character bowed out of the movie because he thought this checkpoint was going to go differently. But now search her own and kind of

“it's stepping up to be like the third lead when he's gone. Which I think she's great. Did you kind of”

Griffin Beats that are when he suggested that too should be on his butt? That's your that'd be your move there and then Colin on his ass would be threatened with a knife and the guy who just can't see and freezes to death. Well that's who I would play. Yeah like what happened to Griffin is I don't know he has bad eyesight or there he has he's frozen. What happened to Griffin he slept in he missed the escape. He couldn't hit his like alarm which is just like a bunch of sticks. Oh he hit it but he

hit the fucking snooze stick 80 times. It is nice to see good stuff star Scar's guard and actor I always

enjoy obviously is largely you know mostly to Swedish movies but yeah he's really good black bag. Yeah he was a good hop and hammer. He's good and yeah and he's good and in Westworld actually to speak of at Harris' favorite role. So Griffin you feel like the movie goes off a cliff when Ferrell stays in Russia. I think it goes off a cliff. No slow down a little bit. He uses a lot of juice. Surfshadowing is a really like well done scene. It's beautifully done action. It is. It's actually really acted and done. Yeah.

But I am like yeah I'm a little dead into the movie. I think Ferrell's the spark plug. I think Ferrell is the equivalent of adding you into the news and deals group chat. Like we need him there to create the like innate tension of like where's this guy going to go. Yeah and I'm expecting I asked that is that I I'll take that right and I'm expecting that like as much as I'm going to be sorry to see him leave the movie early it will come to like a head in a very dramatic fashion.

It was nothing like that. Well the elements are like that. The sandstorm is that. The mosquitoes are that. Yeah that when when she takes off like the mosquitoes the way they deal with is they ask one guy. Like how do we deal with this? He's like you put this shit around your name. He's just some guy wandering around my goal. Yeah. When social run and takes off her shoes and her feet are all fat on it just goes. I remember this part so well. It's like why it is kind of striking because they're

you're used to the blister. You're supposed to look like this like you're going to be fun. I'm used to the blistering sores of feet and stuff like this. You're not used to this weird kind of puffiness. And then someone else has it later. Yeah. Very very well-earned makeup.

“Like yeah the makeup makeup is incredibly incredible and it is so subtly done that you have to”

keep reminding yourself that it is makeup because it's mosquito bites to the dehydration. You just feel like you're watching a documentary. It lost of course to the wolf man because that has a wolf. The wolf man swept that year I feel like there was kind of the return of the cake show as a

character. Rick Baker supporting wolf the goat. I have always disliked the look of the character

in that. We've talked about this right now. Not a big fan of the baker job and that's sort of like one of his big, like later in my job. It's just one song. I think it's his last Oscar when and he basically talked about the process of making that movie drove him so insane that he was he had his own kind of Peter Weir. Like I guess I'm not aligned with this industry anymore moment. Yeah right. Like he jumped in men and black three. He had filled a couple legacy jobs but he

basically starts pulling back after wolf man. Yeah. And he views it as like that was the last time I got away with doing what I wanted to do and I've just never left for him as the other one he did. But he didn't win for that or he did. He knew he didn't even get nominated. He just he just worked on the movie. Yeah. I don't get that design. So once the movie progresses because it's you know it's it's such a simple literal movie. There's like yes you know there's very little like oh what about

this part of it's basically like what about the mosquitoes about when they find the water well and they all start drinking water. So removing the smalls from the equipment. What about the Mongols we give them a sack of water like and they say they're too poor for horses and they're just like okay well we have no questions about why you people are wandering around out here. I like all of these moments cast away. I am a sapac contrarian and a goofball. Do you like Jerry? Yes. Oh the fence.

Yeah that's the best. Yeah I put this movie closer to Jerry than the Revenant. But Jerry is like

“abstracting everything. That's what we were doing which is so cool. I mean Jerry rocks. So the”

cigarette. Bring back Jerry. Jerry too. Jerry's cast away concurrence. His vansans still on the stall on the board. Well he's going up against your favorite filmmaker of all time. Christmas right now. Cast away the cast Columbus. The structure of problem solving. Which is what I think I like in this type of movie when I connect to this. Yeah yeah. Which is the fun of a send help even like any totally. Well also I mean this is insane Chris Columbus is winning. Who the fuck wants this over a

cycle remake episode. I would love very much love to discuss the cycle remake a movie I love. Um but the other like to us at like in the movies we like watching at home there's like the two kinds of this kind of movie you're describing is something like the Martian which has a kind of identical problem solving. Yeah structure and then there's the kind of like sea fairing adventure shipwreck in the heart of the sea where it's just like another thing of like can these people survive. But in

the heart of the sea is one that nobody likes because that one's not nobody. Yeah I think a lot of people like that movie. I think a lot of people find that to be like a really worthy a lot of sea fairing adventure people. Yeah definitely I think a very popular is a whale is writing that right now that any lot of people like that movie and why did it come back? Even like all is lost which is not my favorite movie and is similarly like very small. That's not your favorite story. It's not in fact my number

worth favorite movie of all time. Sighting sound poll number one. I know people are chewing them up and feel like there's no these are unranked but just to be clear all this loss is number one. All

“four slots on my letter box four. Yeah it's not. Some has lost. No it's all is like you have to”

respect the all. I always thought that was your favorite movie. This is why I'm trying to correct

the skirless rumor. David all this loss which is not your favorite movie please but did you thought. And it's so stripped down and obviously like most talking. Right you're listening whatever has that kind of like okay here's this one problem he's got to solve this where I feel it's stacking up and I think this movie I rewatched after tomorrow. So did I. A movie that fucking rules that David's wrong about. Don't move you like. But that is a movie where I'm always fascinated

by it's Hollywood junkiness where it's like we can keep escalating the type of natural disasters that happen and then you feel two thirds into the movie then go fuck there is no way to resolve this film. Right. They can't undo the weather. No. And there's nothing for them to conquer. There's no way for them to score a win. Red equade can't fly a brain into this and then they're

let's do it. Because they have to fight wolves. I guess like Dennis Quaid has to come to him. I always

forget how late in the movie. That's what's right at the end right? Even starts his journey. It's over an hour before he's like fuck it I'm walking. I'm going to do my own long walk and then that's pretty expediated. And I feel this movie being like Peter Weir pitching this to studios. Studios being like cool. So can every 15 minutes something insane happen? The guys have to try to kill each

And he's like no that's not the kind of movie I'm making. And he has like saying he's distancing it.

Yes. And then he's overclocked. Nothing happens. So far into the, well if I'm not making it with a studio then I'm making it exactly the way I want. And I'm not going for any Hollywood bullshit artifice. And I'm like I could use like 5 to 10% more kind of like not wins. Well I mean what you're describing is the way mosquito coast is structured. Yes. Which is like a series of builds and activities and ice transports and little things that arise and sort of like endless

obstacles that he's facing. It's so focused and it's bleakness. It's not like selling out the message of the movie and the integrity of like you know the character study and all of that. But it does

“have that kind of build that I think I was just kind of struggling to hold on to here.”

Every scene would happen. I'd be like this is a good scene. And then the next scene would start. And I'd be like okay this scene has to win me over again from zero. Where do you guys? I when once we hit the monks is when I'm like I'm parking my ass here. This is great. Oh and hang out with you guys. Like this is great. I don't want to go to keep walking. They leave at Harris there and I'm like why are you not staying here? This is like I got to

get home right. I got home to my fucking white. Honest comment at the end of the video down the river. I rewatch was like I did not know that the point of this movie was like this eternal love that he has to return to. I feel like they debuted that notion pretty late.

I know it's the first scene in the movie. It's the first scene in the movie and then you have

a couple times where you're sort of the vision of the door which I like that. Yeah. I mean we're just good at that stuff. He's good at that stuff. But they're so much of that in Truman Show. Again because this movie doesn't have like overlaid bird kind of monologues of like guys being like you know that's my wife I love her so much. You know like the photos and the helmet. Right. It does take a while for him to be like oh no by the way like we got across the Himalayas right

fucking now even though like clearly the wisest man you've ever seen. Yes. It was like not a good idea. It's the winter like wait until spring. That is yet is there be yetis. Yeah. This was another thing I thought. Well that was that was the miss. That's miss opportunity for me. The other thing I thought was with this movie benefit from starting one week earlier rather than starting in the interrogation room. Giving you like surges in Poland being rounded up. Well let's also say maybe

maybe it's a guy with a little more juice than surges. Right? Who is that? I mean I don't want to go down this rabbit. It's at this point. It's like really good in 2010. At this moment it's tough. We can keep points. But this is also like male actors started. What? But like if it's Chris Hunter for Sport. Who is new then? Is that more interesting? Or is do we shoot higher? Do we get like Matt Damon? You know do we get like like a various tabletch actor? It's tough because it's like if it's

2000 the options are overflow. Yeah but then you could end up with like a Toby McGuire where you're like I'm like that looks like you know. I'm going to him but he did occur to me. It's surges asking his gentleness. I just think I realized too late in this movie, much like it sounds on it did. Oh right the thing that's driving him is wanting to see his wife again. Sure. Mm-hmm. Which this movie. I mean I mean it was not a fucking James Franco. Like who made this survival thriller

this year. Now we're talking. Yeah although like that's the better survival thriller for him to be him. It is. I'm not. Yeah you know. But you mean like a guy who's just kind of innately charismatic. Can be although sometimes Franco you're kind of like did you forget to plug into

“that stuff. I think him at that time would put himself in the hands of a master like we're in.”

He would he would rise to the assigned one would assist at this time. I do think he wants a certain emotionality in this world though. Right like he wants a certain but he also but the script doesn't support that because there isn't any of those moments of like what are you going to do with what's

the first thing you're going to do when you get back. Right kiss my wife what about you hug my

mouth like there's no I'm like does it need to start a week earlier so that there's some status quo of their relationship rather than it's starting with him in the interrogation and her like setting him up and him falling on the sword you know it doesn't make sense too because and I guess the characters at that time don't know this right that the war will eventually end but even beyond the war like the occupation falls exactly as we see right at right. So it's like

the chance of him being able to go back and see his wife it doesn't seem like it could happen like within his life the post grips that like follow the fall of communism are very it's like wow this is really consolidating decades of history into a series of title cards with footsteps

“over them because it's like oh right he hasn't gotten to the end of his problem. I think a lot of”

prison movies too like you got to see some amount of their life on the outside before they go into understand what they've lost. I don't think with without exception but I felt like I didn't have enough of a grounding in this guy to have him be the one driving the movie. I guess because we

I know what happened to Ireland sure I do know it's in there's less you know what happened to Paul it I have I have yeah. Do you like those movies? You like the Spielberg treatment of a World War II

Well he's always seen same-prever I one time gave me a fucking panic attack I had to start

“them but I do on the steel book I own the 4K. I think on a commitment to rewatching it at some day.”

Do you fuck with Fury? I'm like Fury okay. I was all right. Honestly last night after this first so excited to rewatch it then she goes up and with a great movie really comforting I could see watching this one's a year and I said really once a year she goes yeah I mean it's not like um like really intense something it's hard to watch like Fury and I said on a week you want to fury all the time she was okay well not Fury but like something it will be more intense than Fury like two months ago

I texted you I want to make a pitch what if we put you on and I named a bigger you're probably having announced that in the next month well not set the end of this episode okay great you're gonna ask in the middle so that people have to listen and then you were like why would I not be doing the way back and I was like well I assumed you only put your finger down on way back because of the like most irrelevant movie in a film makers career and you were like you're forgetting that I like

more season you don't have more season you know fucking I knew can you share with the listeners yeah so basically like 15 years ago we were driving up to Vermont for the weekend and we bought some DVDs at a gas station as one did at the time one of those DVDs was Ed's Wicks Defiance a film we had not yet seen we go to a snowy cab and we roached defiance turns out to masterpiece just fucking incredible I mean that's a movie like this also just like the Ed's Wicks movie yeah it's incredible defiance for me is a

perfect example of Oscar nomination morning defiance gets zero norms I go what a relief I never

have to watch drag to reflect it is better then if that movie came out last year not not last year but two years ago it would be like well this is the best movie of the year if it came out last year would he put it above her below number above okay defiance is an excellent film that is really well made with three incredible performances from Craig Shriver and Jamie Bell it is such a good ver it is what you are saying you want from this movie it is an endless slog of hopeless survival

set against inhospitable elements but with that Hollywood sheen and the melodrama layered over it with romance so we watched that and we were like this fucking rules defiance is great we go home our neighbors ask us to cat sit we're feeding their cat we look on their DVD shelf two things there that were interested in shindlers list and show uh-huh take them upstairs we watch them in the week that sounds like a fun week so now we're thinking this is Holocaust season so then we spend like

five years to be clear my head is in my hands we spend like five years in the dead of winter then can we commission a shirt that says that now we're thinking it's Holocaust season now wait a minute put the cartoon of ours sort of swear the prologue because then we're in his layer so for like five years every February march when it's just the worst out gray pulled short you've been in winter for months every year we're like okay so let's do like you know five ten Holocaust films yeah the

Holocaust of seasons when eventually we run out of Holocaust films uh-huh at least you know the

“ones that you need to see or revisit so then we say it now it's worse season we've expanded this”

this is now an entire season devoted to World War II in cinema mm-hmm now there's we could do this for the rest of our lives we wouldn't run out of movies there are a lot of World War II and we do this every year I take it very seriously I put together a sort of dossier not it check JJ style dossier but a one sheet yeah that I make our list on every year right

and is it always fresh films every no no there's stuff has been on there forever like there's

stuff that it's like we just watched Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence and I was like this has been on the list since before I started printing them oh like I have handwritten pieces of paper I mean are they all blind watches or not throwing in ribbon we always rewatches are a very important part of it such as the way back uh-huh on a third day was a few weeks ago since your night your birthday anything you want what do you want to do and she goes shenler's list it's like

it's fucking great so we watched it we watched half of it the next night we finished it and I was like you know we the finishing night was like an hour yeah we watched like two hours and that was like what do you want to when you want to do it's only it's still a little bit early she goes feels like we should watch it up so the Pacific is like the sun believable her commitment to it exceeds mine by a thousand percent yeah but on a love's nothing more than world

fortune I would say it's very much world war two that oh yeah yeah like the thing I always say is

“it's just on like an SNL or I think it was like a five-timers club sketch where Tom Hanks was talking”

Andy Sandberg he goes you know what I love Andy he just goes world war two pretty good that is that is on a two a T and we curate we're see like I start working on the list like in the summer

I send her a picture of some poster for a Norwegian film with a swastika on it and I'm like adding it to the list like it's it's gotta go on the list and we end up putting together like a really diverse collection of war films that tell the totality of the story from the eastern front South America after the war this and like like what do we just watch a music box the coaster

Gopher's film oh sure which I'd never heard of and I think either came up when I was reading

something about it was just an accident or it came up on like a cinematics with what's her name Jessica Lang and I was like what is this movie it has a swastika on the list I just feel like Wesley Morris brought this up maybe that's maybe actually maybe that's like this is the exact kind of

“movie we don't make any more that used to be important to the screen somewhere and honestly it wasn't”

on my printed list because I printed that list in January yeah so we spoke we were able to squeeze it in anywhere is that her dad is a Nazi yeah always being accused of having been a comment on it yeah have you seen number 24 um wait is that the nerve is that the story we were watching and we watched that last year that was like yeah did well what made you watch that I don't know actually other than I was looking for something to watch on a flight

is that a set about the formula for heavy water is that right this is about a guy who was part of the resistance in Norway. Oh yeah and then it's like kind of a dark war drama there's like scenes of him talking to students in it. Yes. Yeah cutting between that and his like various acts. Yeah yeah that's right something I find very interesting and unheralded and like the endless Morris of Netflix Slop is that every year Netflix will drop like 10 international films about World War

“2 that I've never heard of and you watch them and they're all like solid and you look it it was great”

you look it up and it's like oh this was this country submission for the Oscars didn't get released

never heard of it David Sims never saw it basically all quite on the western front was a lucky one

of those that passed. Yeah but they put they put up like 10 of those a year. 10 yeah. Now there's one you know a will there's one called like Blood and Gold there's one left photographer of math housing that was like a Spanish concentration camp movie. Occasionally still get a good new holiday did you see David um it was a Tiff movie Irene's Val no I've at least heard of that one um but that's highlighted this year's horse isn't fair enough. I was all like classy surprise

of like really really good movie. Have you seen I this I wrote a piece about Stahl's Cars Guard and I I've never seen this one good evening Mr. Wallenberg. No this was a Stahl's Cars Guard breakout movie is a big movie in Sweden where he plays a famous Swedish figure a diplomat who is instrumental

in saving the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust never seen it but it looks like

the kind of sort of handsome Oscar submission that was big in its country but not really big outside of it. So many of those even still. Anyway that's all. Yeah but this is a very important

“part of our viewing so we were happy I think we initially watched this movie as part of that”

and uh as just Peter we're fans but man we love horse season it's almost over but we're in it. We're still anything else any other uh watch this year. I mean yeah we've been doing it for months at this point. Are we almost pulling out a horsey? Yeah yeah it's getting a little too warm. Yeah but then when it gets warm you can watch things that are you know like uh the take place in the jungle you can kind of make my great to the Pacific. Do you pin the end of horse season on a

on a calendar date or a whole day? Okay we can we can drag it out to Memorial Day but not consistently yeah we can like I think one year we saved Midway from Memorial Day. So excited when Midway was coming yeah like so excited that I waited like two years to watch it at home on Memorial Day. But I feel like in those two years you were constantly texting that movie is I guarantee you and eight out of ten of the world. And it was it was a very very solid movie. Is that the one with Glen Powell or was

that? I know that's devotion. Oh that's right that's right. Which starts with Midway and we're the second actress about the title has disappeared. Oh who was that? Jonathan majors. Oh dear. Midway was Patrick Wilson. It was Dennis Quaid. Yeah and it's Quaid. It is a role in Emma. It's like oh yeah Dennis Quaid is um is he McArthur in it? I couldn't tell you. He's he's he's high up he's brass. Yeah. So anyway we watch hundreds of war films. Yeah and I can throw this on and be like well of course this guy was

rounded up in the communist purge and he's being accused of being an enemy of the state and we're off to the races and it's kind of fun to continue the conversation of expanding the the conflict of the war and never needing to like pause or take a break from it because you can kind of just jump into whatever and no because the thing you're the thing that you're missing in this movie that is like really what makes good war films great is that great war films can distill the essence of the

entire war into a single moment. Yes that's a good call. Often either the beginning or the end of the movie. Right. And there's less does this the opening statement private Ryan. It distills right essence of World War II into a scene. Right. And the two soldiers meeting in the middle of the

doesn't have that scene. It doesn't have the moment. That is a good call. That stands in for like and that is what it was about in Russia during World War II. Yeah. I also think everyone in this movie you meet is so thoroughly broken already that I just me with this not being my chosen genre.

“I think I usually need the emotional in of here's what they lost and what is hanging over the”

movie emotionally is them trying to get something back. Do you like old, because to us like the history, I mean obviously they started making World War II films like before the war all over

to. Yeah. But the kind of first wave the man on a mission movie is which are just pure action films.

Yeah. I feel like those movies are all prefer that. I feel like this is something I can't picture you watching because you're not like a dad in the 70s. Yeah. I mean I watch them. That is not my favorite kind of war movie because those do tend to have a little bit of a formula to them but they're fun. Like I mean do you yeah. This is the tough guy. This guy is kind of the smart kind of like you're kind of a fun and great escape. Do you like those two movies? Yeah. But I'm like heroes of

telemark and I'm like doing in my head like what's my favorite war movie and I'm like oh my answer is like best years of their lives which is a post-war war romance is very important.

“That's your life is an incredible war. An incredible film. But I think literally like truly”

has shot way up on my all the time. Just watching it for the first time. I mean that's one side

of Walter Reed with Peter Weir in his end. Yeah. We just had another war season one this year. It was the Gernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Speaking of Clem Powell. That is a movie that is weird. You know it got brought up. Yeah. You're like oh this will be really chill and it's like no it's a better one. Yeah. But it's actually quite fraught. But it's important to have for us like you don't want to watch this movie every night. You don't want to watch like an action or

anti-movie to make it up. So to have occasional wartime romance which are often you know quite nice and then like did you see Beasts of War the like Australian shark World War II POW moving? No. I just came out. It's like a shutter original that came out. It was maybe at festivals last year. It's a true story. It's like basically a bunch of Australian fighter pilots were just on a plane and then it goes down roughly 15 minutes. It's just a little bit of a Wikipedia movie. I was surprised

didn't have a Wikipedia page. It's like a legit movie. Wow. And um you know it's like it's like this but on a boat but with a shark. Yeah. I would say this looks a little less Tony Venon. Oh no so that was like that was like a Saturday night where tired War move is sure. Sometimes you need something that's like horror or action. Yeah. No. This is like you're like this is we when you come on the podcast we want to make it count. And if if the skid reminds us where we can have you a couple times in one year

then it's it but I'm like I'm sitting here and I'm just like thank God we got you on this one. Yeah fucking way back episode which is just us otherwise being like, I mean this is well-made and handsome it didn't really resonate but it's called you know it's a you know it's a you know it's a same time. But can we get bombets to sponsor this one? This feels like one of real. Oh my God you're so right you can just get up on us really come back bombets. Damn yeah it's been a minute. What if for every one

ad read we do for them we do an ad read for a shitty business. They should have they should have done a promo for this. You know it's a bad word to them man. You guys might do some day. But although seemed not likely with the way voting goes um is miracle at St. Anna. Like a Spike Lee movie no one has seen.

I've seen them never seen it. I've seen them. Yeah it is. I mean Defy Bloods is like one of my

ten people. Well that's a lot of things. Right. No but that movie is is a failure. I mean I haven't seen it and I like Spike Lee but it's one of his most like misshaped. It's interesting stuff. Like yeah it's not like without merit but it's it's odd. It is nearly without merit. Yeah it's not very good I can't really different. We were motivated to watch it years ago because you're like how could this be that bad? Like this must be interesting. It must be something. Yeah. Yeah but you know stuff like that

can still get made at least at this time. And so even that's 2000 that's him cashing. It's inside man. And that's inside man. It's like 9 or 10. Like the difference between it's when he got to fight with Clint Eastwood. Yeah. He's like all sure. But but that's like the shift of like he's one of the last guys who a like inside man is enough of a blank truck to get to make that and be they let you

“make that under any conditions. Do you like the two Clint movies he's making that response to?”

I really really dislike flags of our fathers. And he will give us a guy like respected. What a new gym is an ingredient. What it surprised you. What it surprised you. What it surprised you for me to say that I really like flags of our fathers and think he was even as a very bad movie. Wow. It surprised me a little bit just the second part. It flags of our fathers. Like let us meet Wajima. Yes. It is. I think the worst looking movie I have ever seen that

you could show me a $2,000 movie that looks worse. Whatever digital technology was being put in front of

“him at that time. It is the worst looking movie that I think has been like made by a major Hollywood”

studio with the major director. It comes in late you know you're like is Alex had a hot takes and he's like bought more. It's strange because it was made concurrently with a movie that looks entirely different. See I remember feeling a little hard. I remember feeling that way about flags of our fathers. I remember seeing them theaters and being like I hate the way this fucking looks. This movie is like so blunt over the head restating every thematic point six times. I thought like across the

board most of the cast is bad. Like I felt like it was basically walled to wall bad performance.

It has a little bit of the clint cast faces problem where it's like they're not all the actors of that good. And the script is so unsuttle that it would need massaging to bring the performances down to something specific. And instead of that rightfully like kind of walking through it. I kind of got real worried about those guys. Yeah a little bit. Those guys got a little bit. Very solid. Yeah. But I have it mid to low on my clint list. Yeah. I mean I'm just realizing

in this conversation that every war film that I would say I love is a movie that basically by narrative design obfuscates the war to some degree. Are you like that? Well do I like all the amount of movies? I don't know all of them. Yes, you're right. I like all the amount of movies. We all know that my favorite movie of all time is all as lost and I like all the amount of films.

It's too bad you'll never cover any of them on this show. Thanks to people voting down.

I mean, obviously, if all of us don't want, we would be covering half of all via non-previes. I don't love Vietnam. That is one of my less favorite war genres. But there are some great

“Vietnamese movies. I think there's, it is likely we cover Spike eventually. I'm trying to think”

who else has a Vietnam movie we have in cover. I mean, do we do far scomphe, great. We can do Michael Chamino. Do far scomphe, yes. Not doing far scomphe again. We could do gums. No, but his movies is a director. Oh yeah, of course. The interesting thing about a lot of these World War II tropes is like, they stopped making World War II movies during Vietnam largely because the idea of making like celebratory. People weren't in the mood that the mission movies went away.

Copila. I've heard of him. The Palma is in the Platinum. Yeah. Yeah. But the Palma to be in, he's another one of these guys like we are that the ignominius end of his distribution and his opportunities is just such a bummer. Yeah, it's a part of his top. I mean, supposedly he's working on something now. Would it be good? I don't know. How can he go from, it's her mission impossible to like not being able to get a movie. It's hard to end a series on the war. You know, it is a thing

to try to avoid. I think this is as good of a final film as my vague recollection of every final film you've covered. If you're saying definitively final ones. Yeah. Yeah. And like a guy sort of choosing to call it. No one's going to stand up for this movie and be like actually that's Peter Weir secret masterpiece. But you know, the basement on final movies in the many series is quite low. Operation Dumbo drop. I'm looking through a list. That's we do need to cover that and who directed

that was that Orson Wells? It was Orson Wells. No, of course it was Simon Winster. Oh, yeah.

“Ben Operation Dumbo drop? Yeah. Never seen it. This is the best thing about drop in elephant. Ben's choice”

that Ben hasn't seen is like my, that's a many series. Perhaps like a picture of it. We have

griff I will remind you. This came out when it was revealed Ben had never seen Bushwacked. We've covered

a wincer. We've covered one wincer. Yes. Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. He did go to Los Angeles. When there's a movie that is so he might cover the Phantom one day. So team I made for Ben and he just for some reason missed it. It is bizarre that you missed Dumbo drop. Dumbo drop is good. I don't know. Do you know, do you want to know what Dumbo drop is the big three? We're going to play the bar. Danny Glover, Dennis Leary and Ray Leota. And their job is to get an elephant across.

I've never seen a doll look at me. I have seen it. It's on the way back with an elephant. They're like walking the elephant by foot and then a certain point there like this is taking too long. We got to get the elephant in a plane and then drop the elephant with a parachute into its final landing spot. Yeah. Where is it? It's part of one of the best movies ever. The recipe at Nammovie that I didn't see was the the fairly one. The greatest beer. Oh, sure. I'm surprised you haven't seen that.

Ah, don't be. Really? Uh, yeah, don't be surprised. I haven't seen that. Why would I see that? You like warm movies. You watch them. I'm not a world war two movies. I am not a cyclist. I do, but we certainly don't favor those movies. There's way less variety in the I agree. There's so much less variety. They tend to be one to two kinds of movies. Yes. And the sort of, but you know, similar to World War II, I think one of the better genres of the Vietnam movie is the soldier after Vietnam, which is what you like

Richard. But no, but what I'm really like. Yes. Yes. It's exactly what you're saying. I'm looking through

the wake of war. Yeah. Even if it starts with actor. What's my favorite war movie? I don't know.

“I love war movies so much. I'm like Alex. And I like any movie that makes me Google ship.”

Now, do I need every movie? Do you like that? No, but the way back where I can be like, and how many people do live in Mongolia? Like I love that. I mean, it gets into what Ben would call a homework movie. But this is the interesting thing that we love putting the difference on of curating worst season is like, there's movies that like Nuremberg that you're like, this is one to one. This is a Hollywoodized version of every one in this movie is a real person. And then

there's stuff like this where it's like, these are, this is sort of based on a thing. And what really went out of vogue kind of posts, saving private Ryan for a long time. We even know that movie is fictional. Was making these big ticket war movies of like, no, we just made this up. Yeah. It became much more popular in the 2000s to really like, be like, this is a true story. Based on true. We're adapting a memoir. We're adapting something true. Whereas prior to that,

Schindler's list was almost like an outlier where a lot of these movies, even music boxes I just watched are like, well, it's kind of inspired by this thing, but like mostly we're just trying to tell a good story. And then it becomes like, it turned up because it was like the perfect movie. There's just more war war two movies before that for a long time at this level. They were being made in other countries and there's a lot of good foreign war films in the 80s

and France was making a lot and they sort of tried to grapple with their horrible history. America just the Vietnam was in vogue for over a decade kind of until Schindler's list made World War II big business. It's also the generation starts to shift and like boomers want to watch World War II movies because their parents served in World War II. You know, like it's it's just

“that's how one day maybe we'll get more. We're probably like 10 years away. More films about”

the Clone Wars now that's cyclically. It's kind of coming back. Well, it's like, it's like anything. The distance between these things started getting really short. Yeah, I mean, I mean, it's not a joke. That's a great statement. Okay, very, very astute. That's what I wanted. I want to profondity points. But to us that we do love David's googling of like what is this movie based on? We do love David's googling. Thank you. Because we enjoy like kind of comparing like,

oh, so I looked it up. It turns out like like Charlotte Gray, the K-planchet movie. Like you know, strong movie. Or it's like this is a true story. This is like some remarkable figure who needs a biopic versus the ones that tend to be like this is a kind of interpretation of life during wartime in filling the blank. And just to be clear, Charlotte Gray is not about a real person, but it is based on a novel. Wait, what's the other one? There's another one with a nearly identical

title. Veronica Garen? Yes. That's the irony. Yeah. Right, right, but I'm getting those confused. Okay. What am I talking about? I fear a war movie of all time as small soldiers. Yes, of course. And that's based on true story. The war of that kid's house, Alan Abernathy.

“January 21, 2011. These are going to be rough. This is a terrible time. That's why it's a fun box”

of the game. The way back is January 2011. Okay. Number one. Number 15 on 678 screens to $1.2 million.

And it's going to let that out. Let that out to $2.7 million. It's not a great show. It's a third of a blackout. It makes it's about a third of a blackout. What does a blackout have 65? Yeah. It makes 24.1 worldwide. So it's a little better overseas, unsurprisingly. But the number one at the box office is kind of like, was that it's widest? Did it go beyond 600? It's like immediately down to stuff. Like, because I feel like they're like, okay, we'll expand it.

Like, and then it's like, no, we won't be expanding it. That was it's widest. 678 screens, theaters. So number one is, I would say a film that's like kind of tonally very similar to the way back. And, you know, has the same kind of energy. I'm joking. I'm joking. It's a comedy. Okay.

It's opening number one to $19.6 million right at the start of January. I mean, because like,

we want to laugh. We want to see some romance. It's not a freeberg-celled sir. No. It's a romantic class here than that. A romantic comedy for me, a very well-known director. Is it a Gary Marshall? No. But, you know, it's sort of like an old hand. It's an old. Not quite as old as Gary Marshall. But you only had one more film left in him after this one. He only had one more film left in him after this film. Tell me about the stars of this picture.

Well, first who's the distributor of this film? Of course it's from the Great People of Paramount Pictures. Okay. When was this director most active? The 80s. An 80s director. An 80s director. There's only got one left in him and tell him about the stars of the picture. Well, there's a lovely lady and a handsome young man. Now, the lovely lady is about to win in Academy Award. Okay. Interesting. This threatened to be her Norbit. This is no strings attached. That's right.

With Natalie Portman and Ash and Kutcher and Ivan Reitman, of course, would then make draft day and be so exhausted by the ego of one of the stars on that movie.

He was like, I can't deal with her for new and asking me endless intern questions.

Yeah. We have to stop for five minutes so I connect to the office. I had to take a long walk down that hallway and try not to spill coffee and I failed. Congratulations on being able to differentiate. No strings attached. And whatever the other one is. The wrongs are benefits. That's a sign of it's the other one. But the reason is everyone sort of remembers everyone just thinks they're both called no strings attached.

No strings attached to the title people. It's a better title. It's also the better of those two films. It's a good movie. It reminds me of what's pretty fun. Yeah. Pretty fun. Oh, and I have presents to give Griffin before we wrap up. Oh, no. Don't worry about it. Think I forgot in about that. Number two at the box office is a film that came out a week earlier. So truly at the top of January opened fairly well. It's an action superhero movie.

Did okay. What is the order? Is it superhero? Is it the green hornet? It's the green hornet. Wow. Yeah. So which is the January release? Yeah. January like second release. That was right. That was a big thing was it had a summer release date. Then they announced they were pushing it back six months in order to put 3D post conversion 3D on it and release it in January and people were like, oh, fucking dumping ground. Is this thing like it did pretty good?

And then it did well. Made $100 million. Would that be it? Do we just you didn't do pulp heroes yet?

No, with that count, but that's like TV. You know, pulp heroes is like fucking radio and comic books.

“It's shadow, phantom, dick gravy. I put green hornet in. We all remember that.”

I don't direct a green hornet. We're not doing his ass. I need to speak to being broken. Microbing gasoline. The way in the eye. Come on, David. The pot in the cast. Moot in the go. These are these are heater episodes. I just want more like of the energy of been getting to do like the 90s comics. And I listen to the Mortal Kombat episode. Like, that's just such a we're offering a lot of energy. Yeah. I would not worry. Yeah.

Number three of the box office is another comedy. Okay. Star driven from a big director. Is it a holdover from December? No. It's a January release. It came out. It came out I guess a week before. Okay. It opened against green hornet. Yeah. It's a big director. Yeah. It's a January comedy. Yeah. Distributor. Universal. Universal. And this director usually works at the Universal. This director usually works with

“him. So especially this kind of this time. It's especially at that time. I think his production”

company was sort of comedy director. You know, well, he made a lot of abilities. Oh, no. But he's at this point. Oh, prestige director. No, say no more. It's Ron Howard's the dilemma. That's right. Which was a bit of a flop. It was a bit of a flop. It's a bad movie. But James had hit so hard with Paul Blarten, January, that they were trying to make him the king of January. Yeah. And this was a hot project. The cast of that movie is so bizarrely stacked. James, you wearing. You got Jennifer Connelly,

Winona Ryder, chanting, Tade and Queen Latifa. How can it be bad? I think it's definitely bad. As Sean Finnesley would say, is in fact quite poor. But and just one of those things where the poster is just like. James is my guy on the post. It does Vaughan have his hand over his head. Both of his hands. Both of his hands. Oh, yeah. I don't know what to do about this. I've got a lot of brewing that had an ad above my subway stop. Yeah. Like that they just left up. But it's like Kevin James is just smiling like

an idiot. Yes. Like Kevin James looks like he was born two seconds. I mean, you guys remember what that's like. He's like, do I have to tell? Yes, he sees his wife kissing. He's been

“seen. Yes, Kevin James's wife kissing somebody. He's entertaining. Yes. And like do I tell him or not?”

Kevin James is married to Winona Ryder. Right. Winona Ryder is having an affair with chanting Tade. I'm Vince Bond witnesses it. And the whole movie is him being like, "Do I tell my friend or not?" Oh my god. It's going to make him feel bad. And it's one of those things where you're just like fucking tell him. This is interesting. I'm talking about it. I want to find your way. Oh, which do you think is the better act as a friend? Decide that and stick to it.

Quite a dilemma. You'd never do Howard. It's so long. Yeah, let me pause just to keep the games.

Let me pause the game. So people have a reason to keep listening. Yeah. So I am leaving these. This is going to be like a reverse, a memento kind of story. I'm going to leave these blue rays for Tracy Letts. Oh, yeah. Of course. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. We're recording with Tracy. So we'll have this film have paid off. Hopefully. I'm leaving three sealed blue rays two of which are reference quality of my own films to contribute to bless. Because I think

I'll watch these more like it's almost a badge of honor to have these in the archive. So this is vinegar syndrome, her smell, and vinegar syndrome pavements. And then the British Yureka Master's cinema was in a fill up, which is the only blue ray release of it ever. And that's a blue ray DVD combo pack. Oh, yeah. Do it dual format edition contains both blue ray and DVD editions.

to work this out. Yeah. Yeah. Can we don't? Do you know what Ben has purchased for Tracy Letts?

No, I think Ben Michael three for three. Well, he's that I'm I'm definitely going three for three. I'm going to write him a nice note too. I'm going to toss this goody bag to Griffin. Great. And this is you know what half of this is, but it'll still be fun. That's awesome. I bought for Tracy. Ace Ventura Petitec. It's still book. Oh, yeah, it's still book. Reese, a recent release.

Spawn. Nice arrow 4K. Sort of then that's Ben like sharing his culture with for sure. Yeah, sure. And then of course naturally trash Humphers. Nice. Which maybe Tracy has that one? It's the one I think is like you ever opened contempt for the work of harmony Korean. I might imagine it's not his choice. When you give him some fun, make sure he's looking at

“at one. Right. I'll have it. But you have to add it to the display.”

Hopefully not have paid off in like shame and confusion. Yeah. This bit that I'm now contributing to because one of my favorite razzings of Sean is in the like YouTube clip of big picture when Tracy was like, what's that name of the director with three names and Sean without pausing? Just go Paul Thomas Anderson. And he goes, no, no, the one who's on your shelf. David, do you think you're going to have a chance to buy desks? That's my plan. Okay.

Why do you want to just leave it to Ben? I don't know. I'm trying to sneak it. No, no. I was trying to go yesterday, but then I realized they're closed on Monday. Where would you go? Night owl. Oh, right. I see. But yes, even to contribute to the archive of his would be hotter. I'm still getting to lay a commemorative brick. I mean, I can also stick around in my collection because I have a fair amount of doves. But I'm like, I think it has to be true. I think it has to be

sealed. If you send me a list on my way home today, I can stop by her. But I was just I was hoping to go and buy. I keep got to go and buy. This is like one of my all-time worst bits, which is the bit that King size candy is an offering to the King from his subjects, which I owe, you know, like that's kind of what we're doing here. This offering to these true emperors, physical media. Yeah. And you make an offering. You can't give him your use to collect this just to finish. Yes,

to finish. And then Griffin can open this. I mean, to be fair, Tracy shows up with like his doops

“and throws them at Chris Ryan. It's okay for him to do it. Of course he's doing this. And I think”

you're not giving him your seal. Yeah. Yeah. These are sealed. I imagine these are offerings from other subjects that he has no need for. The King can throw his scraps thinking of the thing. Well, report the box office wins best picture in a couple more. The King's speech. That's right. And number five. What's it up to at this point? 57. And it's going to make it to 130. 130 and 35. Has Epstein gotten his DVD of it. Yeah. By this point, do we have one was that email sent?

Number five of the box office. I think he has not gotten it yet. It is crazy to consider that it's still

in January. Used to have a thing that was 80 million away from its eventual box office total.

Oh, because of the best picture. You're going to talk with Jeffrey. I've seen it. I was about to pick up my stop sign. Number New York financing. Yeah. Number five of the box office is a film from Alex's favorite directors who he said touched lovely things about on this episode. They're biggest hit ever. Also a 2010 best picture nominee. There. True grip. I gave it a look. I think maybe my favorite come brothers move incredible. I love this. Yeah. You've also got Black Swan as mentioned. So Natalie's got

two expectations. I'm excited for people to respond to that take of mine. I love a true good

“is your face? No, just think earlier. Thoughts. Yeah. They'll be really, really even handy. Just that I think”

Fargo is like good. Number seven. What is Black Swan up to at this point? Black Swan's up to 83. So it's also got some run to go. Yeah. A little. The little fockers are on their way out of the trouble maker. So much comedy. Number nine. So much comedy. Oh. Oh, undeniably. Not Hollywood's best comedies. Like when you're like, I wonder why Hollywood's not making comedies. You're like the dilemma. Little fockers. Like little fockers makes it to a soft 100 domestic. Yeah. I don't know. Little

fockers made 148 domestic. That's insane. Yeah. Friends with benefits makes it to like 80 or 90

domestic. Are you talking about no strings attached? Fuck. Yes. I got to write the first time. That made

it to 70 domestic. Okay. 150 world. Okay. Yeah. So like, okay. Yeah. And the dilemma, which was a bomb, made 48 domestic. Yeah. So that's flop territory. But we are what have killed it for that on this film. Yeah. Also like most studio comedies would kill for 48 domestic now. And that was seen as a disaster. I mean, it was I'm sure. I can't believe how little fockers the way back made. It's crazy. Number eight is the fighter I can. No, we want to see that shit. And I liked it. Number eight's the fighter.

Number nine is Yogi bear. What's fighter? Fighter is at 72. I don't think there's one at 88. Fighter made it to. It's a fighter stay at 93. 93. And number 10 is of course the comedy of 2010. Number one, uh, Tron Legacy. I love that movie. Uh, digital jazz man. That's right. You want to go home and just place in the other rankings? Uh, if you do the point. Well, I'll tell you why we're going to place a man right here. Here are rankings for Peter Weir. Okay. This is the pickup on our ranking.

Do you want to go first? This is a very hard one. I don't know if you found that Griffin.

Kind ofly difficult because it's a lot of great movies. A lot of movies I admire for different reasons and like centimeters in between these positions. Yeah. 100%. It's it's basically interchangeable. Did you include the plumber or not? I included the plumber. Okay. Um, so my list is and it's really, it's tough. Yeah. Because, but yeah, that a lot of these are fun. Number one, Master in Commander. That was not tough. Sure. Number two from top down. One to top. One to the number two, the

Truman Show. Number three witness. Number four, picnic and hanging rock. Those three are all movies. I just think are sublime and they all felt a little interchange. Number five, Fearless. Number six green card. Number seven mosquito coast. Number eight last wave. Number nine year of

“living dangerously. Number 10, Galipoli. Those are all movies. I think are pretty interesting”

and tremendous. Yeah. I'm sure yours list is different from mine. It is. Although, you know,

it's interesting. I mean, Master in Commander is unsurprisingly lower for me, but then our rankings are the same for the next couple. That's interesting. Okay. I have Truman at number one. Witness at number two, picnic and hang rock. Number three, agree with that block. You just established. Then I have Fearless at number four, which is the same as you minus Master in Commander at the top of that list. Right? That's where you have Master in Commander. I have Galipoli at five.

She says this is so fucked up. And then same mosquito coast at six, Master in Commander at seven. Last wave at eight green card at nine year living dangerously at ten. And then I have my last for our way back at 11, Plumber at 12. Cars that eight Paris at 13, Deb Hoat's Society of 14. Wild. So yeah, I have a totally different order there. I have cars at 11, cars two at 12. Of course, you know, I have cars that at Paris at 11, Deb Hoat's 12, Plumber at 13, way back at 14.

I would say the top ten are all degrees of excellent for me. And cars that eight Paris dead poets and Plumber are all very good. And the only movie of his, like, don't enjoy as the way back. But I also don't think it's a bad film. I don't think he ever made a bad movie. No, but that's it. Yeah, that's it. Now we cut you back to that episode. Wow. Oh my god. I can't believe it. The way back, number one for fun, but across the board, we really

changed our mind. Deb viewing in theaters this week is also the company men, the John Wells film. A film I hate. What if the boss is had it? It's actually one of my least favorite movies.

“Don't remember what that is. It's about a bunch of, like, a little manager's or an”

reader's. Yeah, nobody has their exact and how much they struggle in the recession. These guys used to have who's in who are the who are the exact same. It's called F. Like Chris Cooper's. Comey Lee Jones. This is some guys. Oh, this sounds watchable. Yes, this sounds very watchable. Kevin Cosmos non-executive. This sounds very what. Cosner is a Joe the Plumber, who hates Ben Affleck,

his brother and law. Who's never worked a real day in his life. These guys used to play golf.

He's got a point. Yeah. It's a terrible movie. It's directed, written directed by John Wells. That's right. I believe. He's a dog associate counter later. Yes. Like is that? Yeah, and then he gets burnt. Well, you know who can answer that question for you. Who treats us? Good. Now, of course, he's back on the pit, right? Yeah. Thank God. He's off our movie screens. Yeah, making good TV for us. Yeah. He was like my least favorite middle brow director. It's, I mean,

it's interesting because I also actually associate him with ERs to climb and then I associate him with the West Wing's decline, because he took over the West Wing, but like he obviously was important at ER, but he becomes too powerful later in ER and he starts to infect with to me special opposite. That's fine. That's fine. But the pit's good. And he's great. I guess he's my best friend. So next week on the podcast, of course, we're going to talk about disclosure day.

“Because that's going to be pretty new. Yeah, brand new, I think. That's coming out on the 12.”

But then Griffin, what are we going to do? Then we're going under the sea. Yes, we will be looking for someone. Who could we be looking for? We'll be trying to find Nemo an episode we offer to are. I was offered finding Nemo. You said something to the effect of, I don't really have any relationship to finding Nemo. I've seen a twice finding Doria. I've obviously seen 25 times. Astrid preference is finding Doria. Your daughter. Why is that? Because Doria is so

cute at the beginning with her big eyes. I guess so, but I mean, the whole thing. Most is in an aquarium. My daughter also, well, but my daughter is really aquarium. I mean, I just do the septipus. Yeah, well, I like the blue go the blue go well with you vibrating. It's got good characters.

that. I think just because it's like, it's the classic kid thing of like, well, Doria's the best character anyway. So like a movie with more Doria. Yeah. It's just like more for me. I was under a fan. I just didn't think I would have that much insight. I said it's a neurotic father. Alex neurotic. No, no. I mean, we can kill. This was the best episode we could have gotten you on.

“But yes, in two weeks we started talking the walk secret side talking the walk. You did say this.”

This is kind of a talking the walk. We'll replay this. So you're doing understand. We're doing

understand. I don't want to cut off your actual promotion. Some people can be excited. His first

three films are the cleanest desolation of a blank check arc. We will cover finding emo big hit. So he makes his like sort of like more ambitious for animated film Wally. And then uses that to make something crazy. The action film people tried to make for 100 years in Hollywood. The biggest scale imaginable does it have a cool title from the books. That sounds good so far. A title on Carter end of title. A title when John Wells would come up with. And I wait a minute. Where's the

rest of the title? The title's over. You won't learn where he's from. Basically the definitive is what does Mars call Mars in the movie? No, it's a cartoon of course. Okay. Arguably the definitive bounce of the last 15 years. The last 10 years? Most definitive. Like the shorthand it has replaced water world. It is the one of our era. And it destroyed Disney. It totally broke Disney. changed everything then he rebounds with finding Dory. He has this cushion that he can go back to his most successful film.

And then in the year 2026, he returns with two films. In the blink of an eye, a Hulu original that came out months ago. Everyone knows this. We all know this. And then what is guaranteed to be

“another one of the highest grossing films of all time toy story five coming out this summer?”

I think I was low to cover on main feed, but David twisted my arm. And I conceded maybe it is time to do understand. Oh yeah. Yeah. I really had to bully you into this one. I'm excited. I'm excited to talk about it. Thanks for having me on this one. Of course. Griffin has his gift bag. Okay. I'm going to open my gift bag. Let's see. It's a lot of stuff you know about. What's your number one Peter we're movie? I mean, if it's not mastering commander, it's mosquito coast. It was definitely mosquito

coast for a long time. And then very Alex movie. We watched Master and Commander when we did like a

sea series during the pandemic. And I was I always liked the movie. I was like, oh, this I forgot

this is like one of the 50 canonically greatest films ever made period like in my hands by human hands. I have a bumper sticker that says, please stop honking. I'm trying to watch the 2025 major motion picture pay of mounts. Much appreciated. Then a lot of merch here. It'd be funnier though if it was like Trump or something. Oh, like these I've been asking you. Yes. This is stuff you know. Which I movie promotional stickers of my face from these bags. I got are they the full band or

these just now? There's the full band, but I brought the ones that had you in the front. Thank you. I really appreciate it. I just want to shut out with the bumper sticker that today I pulled in right after ARP into the parking garage. And I knew it was him because he had the pavements or that's where my car inherited the car from my grandmother and I covered up the Biden Harris bumper sticker that I couldn't take off with the pavements. Good call. pavements hat,

pavements ball cap. The tick versus Arthur VHS collection. Oh, it only has the one episode. It's a classic 21 minute VHS. Yeah, that's right. But you found this and I immediately realize this is this is quite a pricey VHS on the second hand market. Oh, the 10's be going for over $100. It got $100. Yeah, that was a dollar when I bought it. It's crazy. Yoke

up Arthur, carrying Carmelita his love interest that we never got to in a live action show. I thought

that waiting for you for nine months. All of my love interest were not human on the show. And then and then of course the buddy Christ as seen in the hip film dog. You guys are benefiting from me getting all the stuff from my dad's storage locker. I really appreciate this. All these sealed toys I forgot about. And you know what, we're here to take pictures and posts and social jokes. Yeah, I always find probably part of the carousel, but it was the other thing you said

you wanted the carousel. Ben's a future spot. Yeah. Arp, thank you for being here. Yeah, thanks. Hey, you had two movies last year. Yeah. Both of which people should watch. So for this year, zero. Interesting. For now. For the year calling my shot. You're calling your shot. Yeah, I'm much like Peter Weir. This is a new movie. I'd rather explore Sunken World War II submarines get out of bed at 6am to go be yelled at. Well, I believe you do get probably get out of bed at

6am to be yelled at. Yeah, but not by like a parent of you. Not by like an AD. Right. Yes. Yeah.

“Well, video heavens on criteria in channel. That's the only thing I care about people watching because”

I've been a fit directly from it. But people in this on movie, but I'm not going to see a time there, but video heaven like that's my moving. Yeah, right. You own like the movie now. Right. Can you give the quick pitch to people who don't know because if you listen to this podcast, it's it's true

three hour essay film about the history of video tape as a medium and video stores told entirely

through clips from movies and television depicting video stores as physical spaces. I made this movie has 180 film and TV show clips in it accompanied by a essay read by my rock. And if you're hearing this and going, well, this sounds a little a little. Yeah, I don't know if I can listen to three hours of playing track and watch a three hour movie. A little educational little dry, less you be concerned. The last three minutes features aren't just doing a drive by on like 15

early 2000s independent films. It does feature Amy Hacker wings loser. It does. I spent 10 years on this movie. Griffin walked out of seeing it and said, what no freaky tails? This is our running bit that I keep asking why freaky tails didn't make the cut. And I keep demanding that news and deals respects the existence of freaky tails just that it exists. Maybe give Tracy let's a 4K of freaky tail. Fuck, I don't know if it can arrive in time. Because that's lines gate limited. I

don't know if they're quick as shipping option is. He's counting here in like three days. Okay. I was looking at overnighting some Amazon stuff. Um, my train ride ride. We're from upstate. There's the Lions Gate Studios on the Hudson. I'm sure you guys have seen this David. It's like a near Yankee Stadium. You've ever seen the Lions Gate Studios? It might be Passy Yankee Stadium. Um, probably. We had to actually send one of our hats to that location because they're the

production company that's involved with the John Hamm Show. Did that ever come out? It's coming out soon. I literally got the text from a friend today watching a screen or being like,

“are you guys aware John Hamm Show? Yeah, that's a sewer. I know that's why that's what we should”

plug. You're in an upcoming episode of Friends of the Neighborhood. Forget about this. Friends of a passion film that I spend 10 years on and love dearly watch this Apple Show. I love video heaven. Yes. I love it too. And it's on the criterion channel for the foreseeable future. Great. It's excellent. But um, people are really watching it on there. It's great. That's great. That's it. Because coming out there like what's popular these days and it was always up there. It's high. It's highly

recommended and I just want to clarify that fat cocked gentleman thieves in New York City are always listening to the Halloween episode of blank check featuring Alex Ross Perry as depicted in the Apple

plus series. Blank check fans can say they were there first. Yes. And yeah, people are always like,

wow, that move. It's two hours in 50 minutes. That's insanely long. And I'm like, guys, if you listen to Blank check, yeah, if an episode of that one, remember when you told me, you're like, it's gonna be about three hours. And I was like, oh, it's pretty long. You're like, I figure anyone who's watching this is cool with watching for three hours. It's a Blank check. I got so come out. It's two 50 people are like, I guess David had to be somewhere. This is a crazy amount of time to not spend

marinating in the love of cinema. I wanted to point out to you that we are about to hit three hours. So we are, so we wrapped up half an hour ago. We wrapped up. We're kind of wrapping it hour. I looked up. It was too 30. I felt the exact same way. And now I feel less good. But I

“feel okay. I think we're doing great. And I think everyone's gonna be right there. But Dave, look”

in there by your side. There's more toys, more toys. For sound insulation. So this is his new thing. By the way, it's justifying that. Oh, just sad. He suffocates us then. Yeah. It's just out. It's absorbing sound. So tune in next week for our disclosure day. I hope that rocks. And then we're doing interesting. And then we're doing everyone in March, man. I assume Chris Columbus. Yeah, but do you want to claim one of those episodes now? Nintendo man. If he wins, I will tell

on Mike the story. I'm about to tell you guys about why I find it so aggravating whenever you're like, and he's the nicest guy in Hollywood. I tell this story privately right now. And then I promise if he wins, I will come on and maybe people feel bad about this victory. There's no chance he's going to win. No, I don't think so. Maybe he wins. You've given me an idea here. Thank you all for listening. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to in next week for disclosure day.

Thank you all for writing the high seas of Peter Rear with us. Absolutely. And I'm going to read you a deadline announcement that just happened. Then can we bleep out the announcement? And I just want to get ARPS reaction to it. Good. Good. Okay. So bleep out what I'm about to say. And then get ARPS reaction. Greens should direct and to script spin off. I mean, this is going to get the ship back on track.

“This is what the people want real bummer. This is definitely what the public wants. When I think”

I think these three faces. Look at, I mean, I appreciate that all the progressive gains of the last decade have been erased by the current political climate. But this is a bridge too far.

We can't let people like this run Hollywood again. And as always, that was that was the end of

all it. Yeah. That's it. At some point they'll be a lag and I can start unboxing this bag of

A little bit. Yeah. I mean, I'm going to turn 40 in a month and everyone's like,

all right. But it's like, this is not recently the stop sign. Correct. And they're it's too

“cited. Okay. This is to shut Griffin up. I think is the idea. Sometimes he's going by too quickly.”

Yeah. So slow is definitely not something we really need to use.

Like check with Griffin and David is hosted by Griffin, Newman and David Sims. Our executive producer is

“me Ben Hossley. Our creative producer is Marie Barty Salinas. And our associate producers,”

AJ McKean. This show is mixed and edited by AJ McKean and Alan Smithy. Research by JJ Birch.

Our theme song is by Lane Montgomery in the Great American novel with additional music by Alex Mitchell.

“Our work by Joe Bowen, Holly Moss and Pat Reynolds. Our production assistant is mimic.”

Special thanks to David Cho Jordan Fish and Nate Patterson for their production help. Head over to blankcheckpod.com for links to all of the real nerdy shit. Join our Patreon, blankcheck special features for exclusive franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us on social @blankcheckpod. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, checkbook on Substack. This podcast is created and produced by blankcheck productions.