Behind Bars: American History X, The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)

What happens when prison breaks you down to nothing? Do you rebuild yourself with purpose or succumb to the darkness that put you there?

In this time capsule episode from our vault, we take a deep dive into two iconic prison films that approach incarceration and transformation from radically different angles: American History X (1998) and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002).

These films showcase stark contrasts in how confinement changes people. Edward Norton's Derek Vineyard finds painful redemption through his prison experience, confronting his racist ideologies when betrayed by his own allies. Meanwhile, Jim Caviezel's Edmond Dantes emerges from wrongful imprisonment not seeking reconciliation but meticulously planned revenge against those who betrayed him.

We explore the raw, uncomfortable truths of American History X – from its unflinching portrayal of male sexual assault in prison to how grief can be weaponized into hate. The film's powerful black-and-white sequences and devastating conclusion leave us questioning whether broken cycles of violence ever truly end.

For The Count of Monte Cristo, we marvel at how prison transforms a simple sailor into a master strategist, with Richard Harris's priest character serving as both salvation and catalyst for Edmond's reinvention. Guy Pearce delivers a deliciously villainous performance as Fernand, making us invest fully in Edmond's elaborate revenge plot.

Both films examine how trauma reshapes identity, but lead their protagonists down dramatically different paths. What would your prison survival strategy be? And which path would you choose if everything was taken from you – redemption or revenge?

Join us for this thoughtful exploration of confinement, transformation, and the price we pay for both forgiveness and vengeance. These stories from behind bars reveal more about human nature than most of us care to admit.

🍿 We want to know your reviews, and movie picks, too! Connect with us on Instagram:  

• @thedoublefeaturepodcast
• @a.glitter.goddess - Blanca, Co-Host
• @fivekrunner90 - Bri, Co-Host

Transcript

Season 2 Time Capsule Introduction

Speaker 1 0:10

Welcome to Season 2 of the Double Feature Podcast . Today we're opening up the time capsule . We'll be enjoying one of our unreleased episodes from a few years ago . Think of it as a conversation frozen in time . Buckle up and get ready to time travel in three , two , one .

Reviewing American History X

Speaker 2 0:44

Today's topic is prison movies . Brace yourselves , you guys Brace yourselves . We're going to be reviewing American History X and the Count of Monte Cristo , starting off with American History X .

Speaker 3 1:00

Living a life marked by violence and racism . Neo-nazi Derek Vineyard finally goes to prison after killing two black youths who try to steal his car . Upon his release , derek vows to change his ways . He hopes to prevent his younger brother , danny , who idolizes Derek , from following in his footsteps as he struggles with his own deeply ingrained prejudices and watches their mother grow sicker . Derek wonders if his family can overcome a lifetime of hate .

Speaker 2 1:31

This movie was released in 1998 . It's rated R . It's considered a drama . Of course , its director is Tony Cain . I haven't seen these films . I don't know if you have Lake of Fire 2006 . That that one made 23.8 thousand dollars okay k means thousand , right ? Yeah , uh , he was also the director for black black water transit and detachment . It's written by dav McKenna , who also wrote Blow .

Speaker 3 2:04

Okay .

Speaker 2 2:04

I saw that one SWAT . Oh yeah , SWAT was a huge one . Yeah . And the very least liked . I think it was a show , but I think it could have been a movie Cocaine Godmother 2017 . The one with Catherine Zeta-Jones as Cassid , as a Latina , wow , I have not seen that one . Yeah , me neither . This film is almost two hours long , no surprise there . The budget was $20 million and it made an estimated $6 million , really yeah , domestically , internationally it was $17 million Worldwide . $23 million , really yeah , domestically Internationally is 17 . 17 mil .

Speaker 2 2:47

Worldwide 23 mil . So barely oh that sucks , yeah , Barely . This movie stars Edward Norton as Derek , Edward Furlong as Danny , Beverly D'Angelo as Doris . You have Ethan Sipley as Seth .

Speaker 3 3:06

That's the guy from Boy Meets World , the big fat guy . Yeah , oh yeah , that's true .

Speaker 2 3:11

Totally forgot he was in that show . How do you say this ? Feruza Balk ? I can never know how to say her name , goddamn Vowels in the American . I'm like she's not . What's it called Irish ? I'm like she's not what's it called Irish , right , because I know they have their own alphabet . I don't know what she is . Anyway , she plays Stacy . She's the actress from the Craft . Yeah , the crazy , the crazy witch .

Prison Survival Strategies

Speaker 2 3:35

Yeah , the crazy , very passionate witch . Avery Brooks plays Sweeney and Stacy Keck as Camarón . This movie , you know . Before we jump in , we ask you and each other what's your prison survival strategy ? Do you have ?

Speaker 3 3:55

one . Am I a man or a woman ? I mean , you're a woman , Okay so my strategy full lesbian , just go full lesbian . I'm gonna cut off all my hair , let my unibrow grow in , let my mustache grow , and I'm gonna try to get ripped before I think you get right . Oh my god , don't you get time before you go to prison , like in between , like you know , you're gonna go , I think it depends .

Speaker 2 4:21

I think it depends on , like , the crime , but'm going to try to get as strong as I can .

Speaker 3 4:27

And then when I walk in there , all the ladies are going to be wanting me . And that's how I'm going to survive .

Speaker 2 4:35

Mine is similar to you , but less committed . I think you could get off right now just the way you look , but you're bringing up a lot of hair . I don't know how hairy you really are . Now that you bring up all the hair , that look might better suit you Imagine Frida , frida Kahlo . No way . Yes , I know , I shave my peach fuzz on my face . So , I mean , I know I'm a little , but I think I'm a brunette . I think brunettes are a little bit more self-conscious of hair .

Speaker 2 5:05

Yeah . So I think that's one thing I fucked up as a teenager , because one time they were like , oh , you want your eyebrows threaded ? What about face ? I'm like sure , why not ? I've seen some girl do it , been self-conscious ever since . But mine , yeah , mine is definitely yours , with less commitment . Commitment , I'm just gonna be in there , be like what's up ladies . And my dad has even said , yeah , it's easier in prison for women and I'm like I guess , and then orange is the new black came out . I'm like all these politics coming out , the hate and the side eye and well , do you watch that show 60 days in ?

Speaker 3 5:37

no , it's , it's normal people , right . Then they go into prison for 60 days and they're working with the cops and they're supposed to like track how how the drugs are getting in or how the gangs work , or , um , if the guards are doing their jobs correctly and whatever , whatever . So there was a group of women who went in and like three of the women were having a hard time , they were getting bullied and whatever . And then this one woman who was total lesbian , short hair . All the ladies wanted her and she was like having the time of her life in prison . She was getting lap dances .

Speaker 3 6:13

They threw her a birthday party , oh my god , they wanted a piece , yeah and I was like that's the way to go you know what ?

Speaker 2 6:22

I'm sure for this strategy , you're going to have to not put out to continue to receive that type of affection ? Probably Because you're the new shiny toy yeah . But once you play with the toy a little bit , know what the toy tastes like yeah , know what the toy likes . And then a new shiny toy comes along and you're like how do I squeeze that toy ? I think that's gonna be the tip , but it's hard , you know , because it's like bitches get horny too .

Speaker 3 6:48

Yeah , it's like you know I don't know what if you're in the , the old-timey count of monte cristo prison , a prison like that like for the dirty sea .

Speaker 2 7:03

I think I'm just I don't know . I don't know if I would just starve myself out of pure control . I feel like I would want to take control of the situation in any way that I can , and the only way I could would be to protest by not eating and starving myself , so I'd probably just kill myself I guess I was .

Speaker 3 7:23

I was like suicide all the way there's no way like this guy has that .

Speaker 2 7:28

Guy has strong will . Yeah , like the , his character development is so fired up and energized by that fire and I'm like I don't know if I have what it takes to get it , to get that in me , get that out of me , you know ? Yeah ,

Analyzing Derek's Character Development

Speaker 2 7:43

so in american history x there is a clever uh exposition dump , uh going through the police , briefing , and usually we go against . This is like a mixture of showing and telling .

Speaker 3 7:55

Yeah yeah , so the principal of the school , he's uh very well educated Several degrees , they mentioned and he's also on his off time PhD . Phd .

Speaker 3 8:08

Yeah , on his off time he works with the police , with community outreach and gangs and whatnot . So he goes into the police station and he's talking about this Nazi gang and the leader is this guy , cameron , guy cameron , and that , um , derrick was like his protege and cameron was like grooming him and shaping him to be like this leader and whatnot . And then they showed um news footage interview of when , uh , derrick's dad was a firefighter who died in the line of duty , yeah , and I guess he died by a black man , yeah they said , yeah , they said that he went into hell , but the that they just shot him up .

Speaker 3 8:50

So then that's , and derek is being interviewed and he's saying like , oh , like , this is all because of affirmative action and these or I forgot what he said , but he was saying some pretty racist things yeah , he was saying a lot of sideways shit A lot of it .

Speaker 2 9:08

But I like how they displayed that you have immediately jumping into the film character developments of who these people are , what their angles are . I think this whole entire thing was very well casted . I don't think there was a ball dropped on any of the characters . Kudos to whoever did the casting , because it was like man , everybody hit their mark , bringing out their angle or their character and how it puzzle pieced into this entire film . So , yeah , I mean the guy that wrote it also did Blow and Swat . So they know what the fuck , I don't know what their involvement I mean the guy that wrote it also did blow and swat .

Speaker 4 9:46

So they know what the fuck . I don't know what their involvement I mean , that's McKenna . I don't know , I don't know .

Speaker 2 9:49

You know , we don't know what his background is , but I thought it was a very clever , very smart way of and you got to be careful with movies that are serious and have real kernels of truth , like this one does , and that are long . Yeah , you gotta make sure to manage your fucking time and scooping out what is what isn't important . That's why I can't do writing , girl . I'm like I talk so much , I repeat myself so much here alone . It's like it's a lot of work .

Speaker 3 10:15

So kudos , kudos yeah , but yeah , but I think that was a very good way to give the backstory of these characters , but it's still , it was still entertaining and it was still . It made sense , like to the plot of the movie , why we're going over this information and , yeah , so I thought I was like oh , this is a really clever writing tactic very , very smart .

Speaker 2 10:37

So let's get to one of the the heaviest scenes of this whole film , yeah , which this scene is . This film is pretty heavy just from the synopsis alone , but they talk about something and show something that is very taboo , that is not talked about or shown in movies and even in talked about in real life um the rape scene that um Derek is the victim of in prison . So I didn't see here . Uh , don't nazis hate the gays because that's what I was like .

Speaker 3 11:11

Okay , so , derek um , this is his homies in prison , which is a big no-no because he they weren't following the rules by the book .

Speaker 2 11:20

Yeah , which , as a perfectionist myself that someone that's trying not to be a perfectionist . You got all these rules . You want people to abide by these rules , and then you have people that straight edge abide by them , and then when you see that people aren't giving that same effort into something that you believe in , I can understand that it's very infuriating . Yeah , so I related to derrick's reaction to that , but I would have never thought .

Speaker 2 11:45

I didn't think that the the rape scene was going to be of him . I thought it was going to be when they harassed the , the asian store . Oh , I thought that's where it was going to happen so I was watching that scene like oh yeah , as a woman , yeah , but this film takes it one step deeper and talking the taboo of men being the victim yeah , yeah .

Speaker 3 12:05

So they attack him in the shower and it's , you know , his nazi homies and they , you know , hold him up and the I don't know . I think I guess he was like the second in command yeah , whoever the fuck that guy was whoever was he , you know , rapes him .

Speaker 3 12:20

But then I'm like thinking you , you have an erect penis , you're , I'm assuming you rape him to completion , like you ejaculate in his butt right , and everyone and all your nazi homies see you do it right . And so that's what I was like don't they hate gay people ? Like , like , why is this acceptable ?

Speaker 2 12:42

um , I don't like all politics . I don't understand . To me , politics is a lot of rules and you make up um , my boyfriend's eldest brother just let me know that jay leno has a quote saying that politics is show business for ugly people , and it's just stuck with me like it's just all these fucking rules made up and this is what derek's character is learning right . These politics , you instill a policy , so to speak , or a belief , and but at the same time you break the rules at your own discretion and I think this is another um way of displaying that .

Speaker 2 13:21

Um , for those that don't know , this type of crime , uh , rape isn't about being gay or being about , or even about sex or even getting off . It's about control yeah , so it was like a message .

Speaker 2 13:32

Yeah , it was a message that was being sent um , because I took a self-defense class in college and you know me , I have questions , so I'm like gonna ask the questions and that's what I asked my teacher . I was like I don't understand . Like you know , I don't know , I know this sounds ignorant , but I was like I don't understand why they're not , when people commit these crimes , like there's not any lubrication involved , like any water involved , like I just didn't understand , like as a person , as a female being like I don't understand how this process is even being completed yeah , if there's no lubrication like it's just tearing for the both of you , I'm assuming yeah

Speaker 2 14:04

and that's when she had to explain to me like it's not even about that , like some people might get off on that because of the peer control . It's pleasurable , but in its essence it's about control . So I'm with you . It's like I don't get it , but it's the politics right . And I think this is why a lot of gang members or people that live in gang culture or raising gang culture immediately associate . A lot of gang members or people that live in gang culture or were raised in gang culture immediately associate , uh , rape of male on male to be gay , because that is a way that gays have sex .

Speaker 3 14:36

It's not the only way I mean pussy right yeah , um , but yeah , these politics I can't get with it , and derrick couldn't get with it either it's just so and then to perform in front of like five other fives I don't know how many dudes were there , I I don't know . It was so bizarre so strange .

Speaker 2 14:58

Yeah , it's . I mean , and I guess this is why they say like oh , you don't know what the life is like in there . You know like because I I don't understand either , but it was , it was . You know what . That was the scene , that like when he started crying because sweeney visited him after that like I started crying , like I started tearing up I was like I kind of wished , if y'all come for me , y'all come for me .

Speaker 2 15:21

But I kind of felt like he could have acted

Family Dynamics and Grief

Speaker 2 15:24

more . And who am I to say that ? Because I feel like everyone has different reactions to crimes that are committed to them . Like some people freeze , I would have never thought I was a person that freezes in the , in a type of um crisis , and in some instances I have other instances . It's my , my fight mode , um .

Speaker 2 15:40

But like when sweeney touches him , I would have thought that derrick would have flinched but he didn't so I was like maybe he feels safe with sweeney maybe he's just in shock of what happened to him . He can't necessarily cope with what happened , but then , like once he touched him , like is when he broke down and I was like he probably does feel safe , yeah , with him and vulnerable to , and then he just kind of moved on from it . So I was kind of in the sense of like okay , now we're talking instead of being zoned out , which ?

Speaker 2 16:06

is like a lot of things that I hear from when I hear about other those instances from people in their truth , um , but because it is something that is deep and taboo , I can also sense that maybe the writers and directors didn't want to dive too much into that , yeah , but I think they should have . You're already there .

Speaker 3 16:23

Yeah , I don't know you , I don't know , you guys tell me yeah , uh , yeah , I don't know because , yeah , I hear a lot of people they what disassociate or exactly , yeah they're in . They deny it for a long time . Yeah , yeah , lady gaga had said that the queen lady gaga .

Speaker 2 16:39

She had said that , yeah , it's like , uh , being a victim for so long that at a point in time you just disassociate from your own body . So I was like maybe that's what happened , I don't know . So I I'm not sure if it was accurately depicted or not . I guess it's just as a person . That's theatrical , it's like give more , especially when it's such a taboo topic . But I mean , you want to do it right or you want to do it theatrical , you know yeah , and then I well , also too .

Speaker 3 17:06

You have to consider your audience like .

Speaker 2 17:08

Yeah .

Speaker 3 17:09

Because I think that'd be too long of a story to tell , like , if he's like zoned out like a zombie Right , like you have to like move it along . Yeah , have you seen the show ?

Speaker 2 17:16

The Dropout . No , it's based on the lady that made I forget her name , elizabeth Holmes , and they talk about her story and how she was assaulted in college and that she zoned out for a bit . But it was just quick , it happened . She zoned out and then she quote , unquote moved on with her life and whatever else she wanted to do , which I thought that was pretty accurate .

Speaker 2 17:45

I mean , I hear stories about that too , so I kind of didn't know what . I guess because it's new , like I'm like , am I expecting more because I'm uncomfortable ? Am I , should I , expect less because it's taboo or because it makes people uncomfortable , or should I ?

Speaker 2 18:05

be more as a movie fan or the accuracy which I don't even know , um , and it was just like okay , so this just happened . He's recovering and now they're talking about like a transaction , about him getting out of here and just moving on . But the scene was necessary because that's what made the rock bottom to make him change his life . Yeah , which I don't think .

Speaker 2 18:25

That is for everybody you know , Because I'm like who goes through something as traumatic like that with your body , which is a different type of trauma when it's psychological , but in this instance it's both right . Yeah , and it's like immediately being like I want to change my life , without literally saying that you know .

Speaker 3 18:45

And I think it was more , uh , impactful too that it was his own friends and like his fellow , like white people , like , because I think if he would have got raped by a black guy or or you know whatever , it just would have fueled his already preconceived ideas and notions , and it would have , in a way , affirmed them right like whatever racist say about pocs and and in that nature . So yeah , so , yeah , great .

Speaker 2 19:07

So you never seen this movie before no , I had tried to avoid it my whole entire life what don't say what my bad , no , but you know what I love movies like I don't love all movies , uh-huh , but as long as they're not a scary movie , which this was borderline almost there .

Speaker 2 19:26

I mean this could have been borderline thriller if you wanted to . Um , I remember seeing clips of it , like growing up like I used to love watching , like fx and like all those other film channels , um , but I think it came out once . I think what was it ? Amc , maybe on cable , and I and you know it's on cable so they can't show everything . It's not like HBO or Showtime , yeah , but I did see that . Some scenes on and off and I think growing up in Compton and being raised like already at a young age , about having brown pride and the cops are against us and even racial tensions , about like not trusting all white people , not because they have intentions , but because they're ignorant and they will label us because of different ways because of their ignorance .

Speaker 2 20:16

Um , instilled a preconceived notion to me already yeah why would I want to watch a movie about a nazi guy and him having ideas or tormenting ? Because I didn't want to watch the film . So I had a preconceived notion of what it would be and it's white hollywood , right ?

Speaker 2 20:32

so of course I'm assuming that they're gonna make this white guy the hero or justify whatever the fuck . Um , and I mean I resonated with some of I understood what he was saying when he was talking about people rioting , because I had that conversation with my father at a young age . Like Rodney King happened in 92 . I was born in 93 .

Speaker 2 20:54

And growing up hearing people of my parents and from my parents and people of their age , because we're from Compton and Watts , so it's like well , where were you when the Watts riots happened ? So hearing the fear that people were having of their own community , and just asking my dad , like I don't understand , like why , what's ? Why would you fuck up your neighbor's house ? Why would you fuck up small businesses ? Why ? And he just explained to me just pure rage . Like yeah , you have some people that want to loot I mean fuck the system , right . Yeah , but you have people that are ignorant and don't know how to express themselves and they just go into pure anger and rage and and um , I haven't done something like that , but I know what it's like to experience rage .

Speaker 3 21:40

So it's like where were your parents during the ?

Speaker 2 21:42

riots .

Speaker 2 21:43

My mom was driving home because she was like it's on , like I have to get home , yeah , so she said that she was driving on the freeway and just seeing fire , like through on the freeway , like from the freeway , and hearing sirens and my dad I can't remember where he was , but I can't imagine that . Obviously they were both freaked out because the tension was high before rodney king and this was just like , was it well , what do you call it ? Like the hair , the hair that broke the camel's back ? Yeah , you know , and um , both of my parents have experienced community violence . You know , just being in south la in the 80s and like my , my dad experienced the bataram , oh my god , and it's just like that is terrifying , yeah , that is terrifying

Film Impact and Relevance Today

Speaker 2 22:30

.

Speaker 2 22:30

And to hear that the bataram is a real thing and then , if there's a search warrant , they can come into your home and search and trash the place and no one is accountable for that , yeah , so it's like having the preconceived notions myself about and and lap . They've already proven that they have gangs in LAPD . So it's kind of like I had all these preconceived notions that like why the fuck do I want to watch a movie that there's like Nazis in it and they're white , and then it's LA County and like I have , I'm like a young kid like 98 .

Speaker 2 23:08

Young kid like what is this ?

Speaker 3 23:09

98 , yeah so like you know , in the early 2000s , which I shouldn't have been seeing those clips in the early 2000s , oh yeah , yeah , I saw this movie as a kid . My sister she had some guy over uh , my sister was , she was in high school , so she had some like dude come over , whatever and he brought the movie and they were watching it and then what ?

Speaker 3 23:24

the fuck . What kind of a move is that on a date I don't know , and then so then I went in the room just like you know , I'm a curious little kid and I'm watching it and I think it's funny because I think the only reason like my parents didn't say nothing is because they wanted me in the room so my sister wouldn't have sex with this guy .

Speaker 2 23:46

That's now that I'm older I'm like that's probably why they they just let me watch this crazy ultimate birth control .

Speaker 3 23:49

Yeah , youngest sibling , yeah , but I don't know how old I was .

Speaker 2 23:52

I was little . You probably blacked that shit out because that shit was a those was an intense ass film , yeah , so you don't remember nothing I well , yeah , I remembered it . I'm I don't know , I liked it you were into , this is a good movie . Well , there was a lot . Yeah , the cinematography of this film is on .

Speaker 2 24:12

This movie is gonna stand the test of time . Yeah , it is because of the , the , the film , that it's recorded on the black and white , switching to the color scenes , you have a topic that is timeless , that has affected everyone , whether you want to acknowledge it or admit it or not .

Speaker 3 24:29

It's , it's a timeless piece and again , I feel like it got even more relevant at the end because I was like I forgot there was a school shooting at the end and I was just like damn , like yeah yeah , yeah .

Speaker 2 24:44

So I mean timeless is it ? Is it hard , is it ? Is it a rough one to get through ? Yeah , yeah , it's timeless . I mean I wish they would show this in the education system . I really do like , if they watch holes in the fifth grade , I think they're gonna be ready for american history hicks in senior year of high school . You know , because you , you , I think if they should teach , I don't know . And did you guys have a health class ? Yeah , yeah . So I think in health , in health class , they teach about safe sex , drugs . I think they need to teach about rape and yeah , as a part of that health class . But they don't , they don't , yeah . They just talk about safe sex , pregnancy stis and drug use which is not enough , you know the number one issue that teens face right now .

Speaker 2 25:27

Well , I don't know what it is now , but in high school , for us , and even in when I went to school for healthcare , is eating disorders . Oh . But now , with all the school shootings , it's kind of like and technology . A lot of the kids are reporting bullying , yeah . So it's kind of like I think this is a timeless piece , regardless , because you have people that will seek out violence in any in any way when they are victims or feeling feeling as though they are victims you know , mm-hmm , but I think that this movie wasn't just about the racism .

Speaker 2 26:00

Yeah , this movie , in my opinion , had the layers of grief which I feel is like the secondary topic of the film . Yeah , and I think the third one is sibling relationships , because of the way that he treats Davina before he goes yeah . And then how he treats Danny throughout the entire film .

Speaker 2 26:22

Yeah , they're definitely grieving the loss of their father , um , and I think that's that's something that forever like you grieve it forever like yeah , yeah it's not like okay , it's been a year and I'm better , like that's yeah , and I've had people tell us like when we we suffered the loss in our family , like we were teenagers , and my high school friend at the time was like , yeah , you , you guys need to get over that already . And it hurt me then and as an adult I'm like I should have said something , but it's , you know , death is always like taboo , like you know , how I think no one we don't .

Speaker 2 26:57

As part of being there for a person , we don't teach people to be a friend or how to reach out to someone and how to be supportive and I think that's the hiccup where people get as an adult , you know , and building more authentic relationships . But it's kind of like they teach us that there is no right and there is no wrong way to grieve . But I do think that going to grief support classes or seeing a therapist will help with that you know , because you experience the loss for the rest of your life .

Speaker 2 27:30

You miss out on milestones that they would have had , that you would have had . So I'm like I mean , doris , the mom did what she could , which which I , given the time . I think a lot of people in the 90s still felt that if you're single you need to be married . For men and the women right . It's like taboo Now . It's like new , where it's like you can hold your own if you're a single adult . I think for some old heads it's still taboo to be a single anything at a certain age , right ?

Speaker 2 28:03

Single mom , single dad , divorced . When bill gates and his wife got divorced , like there was outrage , remember yes , oh my god , they wouldn't get divorced . But she admitted it . She admitted that like , um , you know , they were people I want one one point in time . And then they did the whole conformity thing , yeah , and she wasn't happy . So it's like you know , she wanted to move on , which I mean isn't bad , but obviously the kids weren't ready , which I mean I feel like that's another reason why Derek wanted to fight Marie yeah , the grief , all the grief , yeah and why he turned on his sister Davina .

Speaker 3 28:42

Yeah , I don't know . That was a powerful scene too , when they're having lunch together . I really like when people fight in movies . So when him and the mom are yelling at each other . I was there . I was like , ooh , this is good . And then she hits him and he's like aren't you embarrassed ? I'm embarrassed that you came out of my body . I was like , oh , drop the mic .

Speaker 2 29:12

I feel like moms always take it there yeah like that's like the stab , like that's the one . You know , I'm embarrassed that you were born , embarrassed that I made you or was other than I could . I put you here , I could take you out , take it away .

Speaker 3 29:27

It gave you life I could take it away .

Speaker 2 29:29

I'm like how , how mom elaborate ? Yeah , tell me more .

Speaker 3 29:35

Beat the shit out of me , but yeah , I don't know he turned on his sister real quick and uh , I don't know like why it came out of nowhere it did . I was like damn you just .

Speaker 2 29:49

You're a bully , just fucking . You know you didn't treat murray that way and you hated him because he's a jew . But your sister , you're gonna turn on like that bro , and I think this is a crazy thing .

Speaker 3 30:00

Um , were you watching that tupac documentary on hulu ?

Speaker 2 30:03

oh no , not yet oh , okay , he has , there's something similar . Don't say no , no .

Speaker 3 30:07

Well , they were saying that the black panthers really treated their women as equals and that the men would be like oh you know , my , whatever , my black queen and my , you know , and that the women were very well educated and stuff . And I think it's interesting to watch that type of um , you know , racial group . And then you look at this movie with the white people and they're treating the women like , like garbage even in the mafia too .

Speaker 2 30:34

Yeah , it's just like women stay on the sidelines , like we'll take care of them financially . If someone in the mob dies , they take care of that , the the family for them . So even that's a little bit different as far as but in in gang culture like this , specifically like not a mob , yeah , I feel like it's the people are left like high and dry .

Speaker 3 30:54

Yeah , so yeah , it was tough . What was your standout scene ?

Speaker 2 31:01

I know this , this is probably no one else's standout scene , but when derrick leaves for prison and he thanks lamont , he thanks her , he thinks he thinks lamont . Oh , oh the guy yeah , yeah he was just like you know , um , because after derrick is assaulted he still walks around and is kind of like socializing with lamont , and then what else does he do ? They're playing basketball . Yeah , he , there you go . He plays basketball . Which is like which ?

Speaker 1 31:35

that is a major no-no right , you can do with the mexicans , but god forbid you play basketball with the blacks right god forbid .

Speaker 2 31:42

Um , and remember , uh , lamont was just like hey man , you're trying to get fucked up around here , bro , you're trying to get into it or what , um , but yeah , when he leaves and he tells lamont , like you know well , well , before that he was just like whatever , like I know , like what else . Well , and I kind of agree with him , like what else . Well , and I kind of agree with him like what else is it gonna do like ?

Speaker 2 32:03

he's at a point now where it's like either you do what you , you're gonna die , right , you're gonna die either way , like I don't want to be looking over my shoulder , I might as well live my life how I want to , if they're gonna out me anyway . Um , and at the end , you know , on his last day , he's thanking lamont and tells him you know what ? I'm pretty sure that the reason why nothing happened to me was because of you , you know , because lamont was saying that it would be the blacks that take him out , right ? Yeah , the white , so the whites did , assaulted you .

Speaker 2 32:28

Now you're gonna be murdered . Yeah , right , yeah , um , and lamont denied it , denied it , denied it , denied it , denied it , denied it loudly , might I add , which I feel is like a very obvious lie . Yeah , like the only thing that was missing from lamont was for him to look over his shoulders , I know to be like . Is anyone witnessing who ? I need to know who's witnessing . We shouldn't even be seen together , right ?

Speaker 3 32:53

now it's like fuck off man fuck off .

Speaker 2 32:56

I was getting ready for him to be like , yeah , fuck off , man , you punk ass bitch , like get away from me , you know . But I think that you gotta be between the lines of that scene , right ? So I agree with Derek and I agree with Lamont , because Derek is gonna be gone , lamont is gonna stay .

Speaker 2 33:11

He needs to watch himself , yeah , um , because that's the politics of the prison , I'm assuming , and also it's the machismo , right , yeah , you can't show any type of feeling , even if it's gratitude or love , because that's the type of love , right , like keeping you stay alive . So I felt like man , like white boy's getting out , black dude staying here , um , and he still can't even have

The Count of Monte Cristo Review

Speaker 2 33:36

appreciated things that he's being given that was my standout scene . It made me feel some type of way that's , yeah , that's a good one .

Speaker 3 33:46

What about you ? My standout scene ? Um , I think there's a lot the I mean the curb stomp is . I was scared . I was like what's he gonna make him do that ? My , it's funny . My husband never seen this movie , oh my God . So we were watching it , and then he doesn't . He's a very quiet man , I guess . So that scene goes on and my husband's like fuck . So I was just like I know , I know it's intense .

Speaker 2 34:20

I know I had to watch this movie and then I had to watch like the comedic movies after this one , and I had to make sure that I didn't watch this one too late at night so I didn't get nightmares but , um , I think the whole , the whole .

Speaker 3 34:34

They broke it up into two parts , but the whole card . Like the guy's breaking into his car and then derrick going outside and shooting them up , that was and then the cops come and like . Then the cops are like turn around , so at first his back is towards the camera and then he turns around and his face like he just looks crazy , like he's you know , and then they're like get on your knees and stuff , and he's like that was good , acting just with his face .

Speaker 2 35:00

I know I'm like . I'm like I want to know what he was thinking or what his research was to take him there also . That's the scene where I was like this food looks like little rob ain't nothing like them summer nights was like playing in the background in my mind . Sorry , we just touched toes to sever nights right now it was .

Speaker 3 35:23

Oh , that was a moment he does .

Speaker 2 35:29

He's just missing the loks .

Speaker 3 35:30

The loks sunglasses that night , oh my gosh , you're ridiculous what else , what else to do to you , Not the scene particularly , but when Sweeney goes to visit him in the prison and he's like , let me ask you , has anything you've done made your life better ? And I was like damn that's crazy , and you know what ?

Speaker 2 35:54

That's what I appreciated about Sweeney he's the educated voice of reason he is so strong to know that these people are brainwashed . Yeah , and you're like , being a black male at this time is like and you're enemy number one to white people , right .

Speaker 2 36:09

Like they're terrified of you , that they've created this entire idea that you're enemy Right and he stays strong and protected . And I'm like man . That's strength that I don't know if I would ever be capable of getting to just be strong and believing your own and even accepting that this might just take you out , just being involved . Um , it was a trip , though . I was like man . What a perspective to put it in especially now , after what happened .

Speaker 3 36:34

I know yeah and then um , I've never seen this actor , ever again .

Speaker 2 36:39

Avery bro Me neither , but we thank you , avery , for blessing us .

Speaker 3 36:44

But , yeah , he did a really good job and just the way he spoke with such confidence and education and poise . And I think also too , edward Norton , his character , derek also spoke . Very I feel like they're both two men who commanded the room . Yeah , alphas , yeah yeah . So I was like , oh , they're both two men who , like , commanded the room .

Speaker 2 37:03

Yeah , alphas , yeah , yeah . So I was like , oh , they're very well matched and they show it too right when um stupid ass Seth gets in on the basketball court and plays a fucking fool of himself and he who does he rely on to save ? His ass and people just respected Derek . Yeah , and the same with Cameron you know , but I think a lot of the things that Derek set up regarding Cameron being having what did he say ?

Speaker 3 37:22

pawns or he's a pawn very true yeah also to the opening scene , when they're having sex in the house . I was like that sex looks terrible . I was like it's so loud , like how , in everybody's home . And you , just , I was just like how , like you , just okay , as the guy , your whole family , your mom , your mom and your sister like are home and they could hear you like that's uncomfortable . And then the girl , you're just gonna go into someone's like family home and be all loud like that .

Speaker 2 37:54

I was just like what the hell showing versus telling very much about the characters ?

Speaker 3 37:59

yeah , they didn't they . That was one giant .

Speaker 2 38:01

Fuck you to , to that family yeah , I mean because I feel , I feel like they would have if they really hated the mom . They could have taken it up a notch and fucked on her bed . You know what I mean ? It's just like that , fuck you angry , like yeah , attitude just not having any consideration for anyone or anything , you know , and I think it very much showed and I mean by her face she didn't like she was having a good time her face was like .

Speaker 3 38:31

It was like smacking the pillow , like up and she was like grimacing .

Speaker 2 38:36

So I was like it's dry , it's not good , there's no clit stem . I was like this sex looks horrible . This dude thinks he knows what he's doing and he's not another very telling scene about the character development . He thinks he knows everything .

Speaker 2 38:53

He fucking obviously don't very telling but , yeah , I had the fucking volume at like 40 and I was like looking frantically , like looking for the remote trying to turn it , turn it off . Yeah , what about the scene where um fucking derrick fucking sucks the fuck out of cameron ? Oh yeah , I thought they were gonna kill him or like shoot , shoot up the place with that when fucking Seth , and I'm like Seth fuck you . Yeah , I'm like he's just butthurt because he's not as happy to see him than he is for .

Speaker 3 39:28

Derek . I thought it was hilarious when they're at the house and Seth comes over and then Derek's like Seth , go away , just go away yeah fuck you Pretty much right .

Speaker 2 39:39

Yeah , go away . Yeah , fuck you pretty much right , yeah . I mean , I feel like not that it was displayed this way , but it was kind of like if derrick really was the same person , he could have just went off on him and be like you , fat piece of shit , like you're just dead weight , like you don't hold up your own . Like you say you're part of the gang , but like you you don't know . Up to shit . I mean , I would have said all that if I was like bad derrick you know what I mean ?

Speaker 2 39:58

yeah , because it's like you come in here , you're rude , you have making demands like no one respected doris at all . I feel bad for doris I'm like I don't know how you got here , doris , but it's women like you that let's let semi-racist slide .

Speaker 3 40:11

Yeah , that just have this fate well , that's what I felt the whole time , because the there was that scene with the dad at the dinner table and yeah , and they were talking about that he's reading these new books in high school . And then the dad just starts saying all this race , racist things and I'm like no one's gonna step up to him and be like like , what are you talking about ?

Speaker 2 40:32

yeah , but you could see on doris kid was like making her uncomfortable and she , but mostly derek , were advocating for not necessarily Sweeney , but the material yeah in an unbiased fashion , you know .

Speaker 2 40:46

But this is why . This is why I do believe that if you're dating a racist , or if you're dating a person that believes in certain policies or is anti-gay , you contribute to that . Yeah , that's how I believe , but I'm a person that believes that certain policies or is anti-gay , you contribute to that . Yeah , that's how I believe , but I'm a person that believes that if you don't and it's a lot of pressure to live under this , even for myself , knowing that no one is perfect , including myself um that if you don't do something about it , you contribute to the problem . And that is such a burden to have all the time . But this is a good example of it , because look at how it escalated , look at how the idea , because no one , no one challenged it . And you respect , we're raised to respect our elders . Because why ? Because they know better .

Speaker 3 41:30

Yeah , because they're supposedly that's it .

Speaker 2 41:32

Yeah , right , because they live longer than you they have . There's an expectancy that with age comes wisdom oh yeah , you know , same yeah .

Speaker 2 41:40

And look at what the consequence was of that . You have a feeling of grief . That just escalated these ideas . This person is trying to live in the memory of you , you know . So I mean still very telling , but I was like damn door . This is why you live in the hard life , doris , yeah , but then I feel bad because I'm like always blaming the mom , always blaming the mom . You know , I can see Doris being like what the fuck did I have to do with this idea ?

Speaker 3 42:08

I know I feel bad . Sorry , doris , sorry , the Bechdahl Test .

Speaker 2 42:16

What is dare I ask , what does this get on the Bechdahl ?

Speaker 3 42:20

Um , so do you want to be generous , or how you ?

Speaker 2 42:25

feeling I want to hear . I want to hear what's being considered

Edmund's Prison Experience and Transformation

Speaker 2 42:29

.

Speaker 3 42:29

It might be generous , so it's like a two second clip . Derek is outside he just killed the two men and the police roll up and the mom and the sister , davina , and then they're in the the room , the baby's room , and the mom's holding the baby and davina's comforting the mom and she's like it's gonna be okay , and that's it .

Speaker 2 42:56

It counts , it counts okay , I think it counts , because it's like I mean it happens .

Speaker 3 43:03

One sentence , that's all they said . It's going to be okay . That's all it takes If it was one word .

Speaker 2 43:07

I would have been like but one sentence is all right , okay .

Speaker 3 43:11

Okay , it passes . It's going to be okay , barely sad card , but Whatever , yeah , I say it passes . Okay , cool , it passes .

Speaker 2 43:18

We got a winner y'all .

Speaker 3 43:20

But other than that , well , I mean , obviously he's in a male prison . The movie's about him and his brother , Right , yeah , it's a lot of men .

Speaker 2 43:32

Yeah , it's like obnoxiously a large amount , even in that Nazi party .

Speaker 3 43:39

I was like where the bitch is that I know ? Right Again , I'm like I thought you guys hated the gays acting real gay .

Speaker 2 43:43

Right now it's a sausage fest up in here , yeah I'm like all right , everyone , now it's time for our newest segment , popcorn or colonel . Uh , you know how sometimes we think we're just not the audience for this . Well , we turned it into a metric where we judge the accessibility of the movie .

Speaker 3 44:05

Yeah , so we're going to look at the characters in the plot to see how relatable they are to a general audience or to a specific audience . So if we think the movie can relate to a lot of people , it's a popcorn so you could pass it around and share it with the whole family . But if it's for a more specific audience , it's a kernel . Some people like it , some people spit it back popcorn or kernel .

Speaker 2 44:27

Okay , so one of the main characters , of course , is derek . Who are you considering ? The second one ?

Speaker 3 44:31

I would say the two brothers both of them yeah I do have them .

Speaker 2 44:34

Yeah , they're here as us , in that order as well . So are the main characters relatable I was not relating no I thought they were relatable in their grief . Yeah , so you have a big brother who's just processing his grief . That I mean under the grief is under the surfaces of the racism . So you got to do some digging to get to there and I think the youngest brother just a lot of younger siblings like idolize their older siblings .

Speaker 3 45:08

Yeah .

Speaker 2 45:08

And so , and he's having to process the grief of his father and now his brother is gone and his brother refuses for people to visit them , visit him . So I kind of felt like that was kind of relatable , like I think I'm stubborn , like that too , you know . So I related to the grief . I don't know what other way can I relate to it if I'm not , yeah , if we're not racist or if we don't acknowledge our preconceived um biases yeah , that's the way that they tell us at the work , the hr classes , yeah , are they attractive I don't find them attractive .

Speaker 3 45:48

I mean , I don't think they're ugly , but they're not for me I was very bothered by the hairlessness of it .

Speaker 2 45:55

Yeah , and I don't know what about . That bothered me like a , like a mole rat . Yeah , I was like I don't know why , and I also hate if I didn't grow up watching a movie where we're both the teens . I feel uncomfortable , like looking at a teen and being like yeah , you know . So no , we're gonna go with . No , no , they're not attractive .

Speaker 3 46:16

Are they funny ? Not these two characters ? I , I thought Seth was funny . Seth was an idiot . I thought it was funny . He threw out the black jelly bean .

Speaker 2 46:27

When he started eating that food I wanted to slap him across the TV . I was like , yeah , you're the annoying fuck in the friend group .

Speaker 3 46:35

But no , I didn't think they were funny . Do you think that they're charming ? I think yeah , derek , he pulls people in .

Speaker 2 46:44

I think so . There's something . I think it's the confidence , right , yeah , and I think when you're semi good looking or entirely good looking , you're just that much more like attractive . People are more inclined to hear you , yeah .

Speaker 3 47:00

What was the next question ? Does it invoke sympathy or do the characters invoke sympathy or empathy ? I think yes . I think for me too . I think , um well , definitely after the rape scene , I was feeling bad for him and then after , just when he just realized he ruined , he basically ruined his whole life , or you know . So I felt bad for him , I felt bad for Danny as well , I felt bad for all of them , girl , I was like the mom lost her husband .

Speaker 2 47:30

That's one of my fears about if I were to have children , If something were to happen to my spouse . Now I'm stuck here having to take care of all these kids .

Speaker 3 47:43

In a system that is set up to support two income family families .

Speaker 2 47:45

Yeah , and the youngest kid was still in a crib , yeah girl . So I was like , damn so , this bitch gotta stay being a mom and , like a lot of moms after birth have postpartum so I was like I was going through all this , these things , with the family .

Speaker 2 47:57

Yeah , for the plot are their stakes oh , hell yeah yeah everybody had was under even , even seth , even seth fighting for his life out here . Yeah , because you have derrick who's like , yeah , fighting for his life too . Danny , who's becoming the new protege to cameron , you know , you got doris , who's just trying to adapt , and her health , um , everybody , everybody has something yeah , are the characters in jeopardy ?

Speaker 3 48:26

obviously yes , is the conflict interesting ? I thought so . I think so too . Very relevant , oh , there we go . Is the topic relevant to this day , to this day , very relevant , I think . Well , I mean obviously the topic at hand , racism and stuff , but I think also too , just believing in something for so long and then you find out later as an adult like this is a lie I had an experience like that recently and I was like it was just shattered and I had some too , like growing up that like shattered .

Speaker 2 49:01

I had a mentor who was arguing with my mom when we still live with each other and the argument was about washing the clothes right , because that was my chore . And my mentor was just like , hmm well , you're well into your 20s now maybe you can . You don't have to do each other like do all of the loads , like maybe you can wash your own load and then , being in a , in a cultural household , that's almost like we live together right , we should wash our clothes together and I had never thought of it in any other way yeah and I remember when I first did it , I was separating the clothes .

Speaker 2 49:36

I had told my mom like , hey , I'm gonna start doing my clothes on my own now . My mom was shocked . She was like what do you mean ? Why ? And I was like because I want to . Well , I was still an angry teen in my early 20s and she was like but why I don't ?

Speaker 2 49:48

and I was like because I'm a grown-ass woman , I should be doing my own laundry . And it was like too hot to handle for the both of us , you know . But it's always nice to see someone break and shatter the Norman sea and for his character , it was shattered multiple ways . Not just the rape scene . But also you could already see that Sweeney was already breaking down these barriers and educating Derek just through books alone . Yeah .

Speaker 2 50:18

Which is what the school system is supposed to do , right ? It's supposed to . Well , it should help you with your own critical thinking alone . Yeah , which is what the school system is supposed to do , right ? It's supposed to . Well , it should help you with your own critical thinking analysis .

Speaker 3 50:25

Yeah , that's so funny . You mentioned the laundry , because when I was in high school , I shared a room with one of my sisters , so we had one laundry basket and one day I forgot what , like I needed something . It's picture day or whatever so I only washed my clothes and I , and then I put all her clothes back in the dirty , dirty laundry . Yeah , she was so mad , she was crying , she was crying that I did that and then , out of spite , she went and did her laundry and she was like I didn't wash anything of yours and I was like I didn't , like it didn't even occur to me . I was like I just needed this shirt to be clean . Like I'm not , I didn't maliciously like you know , right , but that's so funny that you brought that . You just like a lot , right , it's a trip .

Speaker 2 51:10

So now , with these small experiences that I'm having now , I question a lot of my actions or my beliefs , like is this , and especially being bicultural , just adds a whole other layer . You know you got mexican culture and which has heavily influenced by catholics and and and the spanish .

Speaker 2 51:29

And then you have american culture , which is which we talk a lot about , this individualism , and doing what we did is an act of individualism which goes against , yeah , um , you know , poc collectivism . So it's just like challenging which we kind of see that here already in the culture of their , uh , racist group .

Speaker 3 51:47

Yeah right , it's like we're together but you're singling out , but I have a question , uh , were you allowed to eat before meals ?

Speaker 2 51:55

was I allowed to eat before meals ?

Speaker 3 51:57

yeah , I ate when I wanted to eat , oh you know , like if we wanted to eat something , um my , my elders would be like no , we're , I'm making dinner right now .

Speaker 2 52:07

You need to wait till dinner is ready and it was it to be in unison , to not spoil your appetite or both too , because they're working hard on this meal and you better eat it instead of eating whatever this other thing is .

Speaker 3 52:21

And then , now that I'm married with my husband , I find myself like I'll be cooking and he comes in the kitchen and I'm like wait , just like , just wait till I'm done cooking , and he's like I can't eat in my own house , yeah , and . I'm just like oh , I'm turning into my mother . That's my biggest fear too .

Speaker 2 52:41

Whenever I cuss her out of my mind , my thoughts , I'm like I'm getting there because of , yeah , we were raised and so it's a constant challenge for me to question , like , is this something that I really want to do , or is this like ? I mean , and you come over too and I'm just like , just eat , just eat . Like why should we restrict people of a human , of a human like need ? Or want uh for politeness .

Speaker 3 53:01

This is the problem that I have with being polite , because I want you to sit next to me and I will Because .

Speaker 4 53:06

I eat desserts , so I will continue to sit next to you .

Speaker 2 53:10

We will touch toesies and everything , and I think that's another thing too , right .

Speaker 3 53:15

The collectivism Doing everything together .

Speaker 2 53:18

And I think that's why in Latino and Latinx and a lot of POC cultures , doing everything together , everything together , yeah and um , and I think that's why in latino and latin and a lot of uh poc cultures , it's like doing everything together is so appreciated and emphasized . I made this for you . You're gonna enjoy it , we're gonna have it together . Or you go to the store . My , my boyfriend loves it when I go to the store and buy him something , and I'm not used to that I'm like why did you get this or like or are ?

Speaker 2 53:44

on the rare occasions I'll do it because it genuinely reminds me

Character Performances and Revenge Plot

Speaker 2 53:49

of something they would enjoy or are interested in , or that they requested the last time and I couldn't get . And he just lights up and I feel bad because it's kind of like I don't want to get addicted to like this , almost like validation or like making you happy .

Speaker 2 54:03

It's fine to me . I think you know me . I think about everything 100% . It's like it's financial . You're addicted to the money . You know what I mean . But there was a lot going on in this film and it's like it's still relevant in not just racism topics , not just grief , not just sibling , but even cultural things . So it's like I wish that they would show it in the education system or make it a milestone in education , even in college maybe . Maybe that would be a little bit more appropriate , because it just has so many layers and I'm sad to know that it doesn't get the praise that you know .

Speaker 2 54:36

I mean you hear what the users say , I was very surprised these people were bothered by it .

Speaker 3 54:43

But I think I'm on the fence . I don't know Is it a popcorn or a kernel .

Speaker 2 54:48

I'm with you . I thought you were going to tell me .

Speaker 3 54:50

Because I'm like okay , characters , I feel like they were all no . And then plot I'm like oh yes , it's one of those popcorns that's half popcorn half kernel . I know it's a little , it's a little popped . Oh , it's a little shy , it's coming out , it's you know .

Speaker 2 55:07

I think . I think this is like 50 50 . I think this is like the bottom of the bucket .

Speaker 3 55:15

Some people are still trying to munch on the half popcorn . Bottom of the bucket . Bottom of the bucket . All right , I'll take it . Next up for review count of monte cristo , the classic story of an innocent man wrongly but deliberately imprisoned and his brilliant strategy for revenge against those who betrayed him . Dashing young sailor edmund dantes is a guileless and honest young man whose peaceful life and plans to marry the beautiful mercedes are abruptly shattered when his best friend fernand , who wants mercedes for himself , deceives him this movie was released in 2002 .

Speaker 2 55:55

It's rated pg-13 . Uh , its genre is adventure . It's directed by kevin reynolds . You guys might know him as he directed the beast in 1988 , robin hood , prince of thieves 1991 that's the one with kevin costner . Oh , is .

Speaker 3 56:13

I thought it was the comedy one .

Speaker 2 56:14

Yeah , that's what I thought too , but my gut was like girl , you better check it . Oh okay , never mind my . To my surprise , tristan and eisselt , I never saw that one . I liked it because at the time it was the cute , the cutie was in there hate fields and mccoys . That's a western , I believe never seen it but , uh , 2016 , it's written as two writers .

Speaker 2 56:36

Well , this is based on the book by andre dumas . He's a french author . He's being credited for the original book , and then the other writer is jay wolpert , who is known for pirates of the caribbean , the curse of the black pearl , and I can see that here . Yeah , yeah , a lot of it . Yeah , when I was watching it , I was like , damn , this is practically the fucking ride . Yeah , but I haven't been there in like over a decade . Uh , this movie , uh budget was 35 million and domestically it made an estimate estimated 54 million . Nice , so it was up there , you got jim .

Speaker 3 57:18

I don't know .

Speaker 2 57:19

Cavazel .

Speaker 3 57:20

Cavizel .

Speaker 2 57:22

You've got Jim Cavizel as Hermann Dantes , also Count of Monte Cristo . We've got the Guy Pearce . Guy Pearce as Ferdinand . We've got Dagmara Domirisk as Mercedes Sorry , dagmara , if I fucked up your name . We got the very popular Richard Harris as Abe Faria . I just put priest .

Speaker 3 57:50

Okay , the priest .

Speaker 2 57:53

Let's see , we got Jacopo played by the Luis Guzman Albert by Henry Cavill .

Speaker 3 57:59

Very young .

Speaker 2 58:00

Very young , very young , I want to . I mean , I was telling Bri I was like this dude looked like when you're in high school . He was like a grown ass man , yeah , and he was hot then . He's hot now . He's just a hot man he was . I want to know what he looked like as a child Because I'm like when did these strong features grow bro ? He when did these strong features grow , bro ? He was just like a five-year-old with the strong chin .

Speaker 3 58:26

The people want to know . This bitch wants to know . But you know what's crazy ? Have you seen his brothers ? He has brothers he has two very unattractive brothers .

Speaker 2 58:34

That's why he's so hot . He sucked it up from his brothers .

Speaker 3 58:37

I was like that . Imagine henry cavill's , your hot brother .

Speaker 2 58:41

That sucks oh my god , no one will . You would never be able to , is that ?

Speaker 3 58:45

how would you ever bring a girl home ? They would all like . Do you see the picture ? His brothers hate him just on looks alone , and now he's rich , god damn .

Speaker 2 59:00

Yeah , and you know , this is why I mean , I know it's like untraditional , but I do think that plastic surgery and makeup should not be taboo for men uh , yeah , with skincare regimens too , like it shouldn't be as taboo .

Speaker 2 59:17

Before we jump into , uh , more into the film , I just want to say the casting . Um harris , uh , richard harris , who plays the priest , is albus dumbledore . Yes , I don't know if you catch that one . Mercedes is . Remember in rockstar . There was , like this , this girl that like wanted to fuck jennifer aniston and yeah and mark walberg at the club and she was . She pees like standing up .

Speaker 2 59:43

That's her , that's her , oh my , I was watching this I was like this bitch looks familiar and I'm like from where , from where ? And I wait , and the whole film was like half of my brain was trying to see and I just had to google it and that was her . Her name is tanya and rock star and I was like the diversity in these two entirely different roles .

Speaker 2 1:00:04

I never would have guessed Me neither I was like remember that face bitch , I was staring at her so hard I was like who is she ? I told Brie . I was like remember her face , because I'm going to drop the bomb on you . I'm going to drop the bomb on you . I would drop the bomb on you . That's crazy . Yeah , so this movie is about revenge , it's you know . He's falsely imprisoned , uh , for crimes that he did not commit , for the benefit of literally everyone else it seems like , um , and very much so by fernand , who is his rich bff , yeah , which I want to know .

Speaker 2 1:00:37

How the fuck did you get a rich bff first of of all ? Yeah , but the podcast asks what would it take for you to turn on your best friend ?

Speaker 3 1:00:45

What would it take ? I don't know .

Speaker 2 1:00:48

Honestly , if I was Edmond's character , I probably would have turned on Fernand Long ago . Yeah , yeah , I mean not that I think Guy Pearce is good looking , but I mean in a time where women had zero rights and were basically cows . Yeah , you know , if you stayed single , you were outcasted , yeah , from the town or had to be a nun , which neither one of those sound good , you know , but I think that's what it would take Like . It's like people are . You're in an age where people are fighting tooth and nail and you know , and even though fernand is rich , he can't get the one girl that he wants , right yeah so that's what beat me up .

Speaker 2 1:01:27

But yeah , I guess that's my answer . If I was edmund , if I was what ?

Speaker 3 1:01:33

but what would it take for me to turn on you ?

Speaker 2 1:01:37

hmm , you would have to like murder a puppy oh yeah yeah , with the smile and great pleasure , yes , and bathe in its blood . I was gonna say I will play with it , feed it , be nice to it , and then and then , deceive it , deceive it , deceive that damn dog that is terrible . That would be a terrible crime , but I I would agree with that . That would be very justified if I did all of that .

Speaker 3 1:02:00

Yeah , if you did all of that , then I'd that's it , it's over , I get that .

Speaker 2 1:02:05

So I didn't read this book , but you would say that there's similarities to the Great Gatsby .

Speaker 3 1:02:10

Yeah , I think so . So the Great Gatsby , which I have not read since high school . So I'm going to give you a really poor rundown of what happens . So I'm gonna give you a really poor rundown of what happens . Take me there . All right , it's in the . It takes place like in the 1920s in america . I remember that , yeah . So , um , this dude , he had a different name , he was poor and he wanted to be with this woman and she was upper class and rich and whatever . So I forgot what happened . I think he goes off to war like world war yeah , basically becomes mia returns .

Speaker 3 1:02:41

Yeah , redefined yeah , but he comes back . He's rich , he takes on this persona , the great gatsby , he buys this big mansion and he throws a big party like every week or every night , hoping that you know his ex-girlfriend's gonna come and he's trying to impress her and stuff . And then , um , he tries to win her back and but she's already married and she has a kid with someone else . And then I think at the how dare she move on with her life , I know . And then , but the same thing , like she thinks he died right oh and then they did have a thing .

Speaker 3 1:03:14

Then they did like yeah and then , um , I think at the end of the , I think she dies . She's in a car crash . At the end I think she dies . I don't remember damn , but um , but I was like this is yeah . I was like I'm getting great gatsby vibes from this and I'm like , why is that the revenge move ? To come back at rich and be like , let me try to get your girl back and I'm a millionaire now well , this , this .

Speaker 2 1:03:40

I know that was like a loose plot , but I feel like this one was much more filling than that type of a plot because the great gas ba felt from based off of that Again , I haven't read it Sounds more intentional of love and the girl . This was a pure . He was coming for everybody . Everybody could get it . You know , if Yaka did some fucked up , I'm sure he would have gotten it too . Yeah , but I think , again , it's like a movie of its time right when . Like a movie of its time right where women didn't have the rights and it's just like .

Speaker 2 1:04:05

That's the conformity . Like I know our elders , if they didn't want to have kids , they had a lie that they couldn't have kids and they didn't to not face . What is ? What do you say ? How do you say it ? Scrutiny , which I think I never . I don't get that like . What business of it is yours ? I don't want to have kids like yeah I don't get , and then you can't hang out with me because I don't . That makes no sense . You can't sit with us .

Speaker 2 1:04:30

Unless I got a baby , unless you got a baby , that's it . You know what I would do ? I would fuck with people and just pretend I have . Borrow a baby , borrow a baby , there you go . Borrow a baby , I don't . Now I have to commit every holiday . If I had a real baby , never mind . So , going back to the actors , I've never seen Jim Caviezel in anything else , have you ?

Speaker 3 1:04:58

I've never seen this movie . I've never seen this man before in my life . I don't know what

Popcorn or Kernel: Final Ratings

Speaker 3 1:05:04

else he's been in .

Speaker 2 1:05:08

But he's a very handsome man . I I know there will be times where I was like is this guy ? He's American , he's married with three children . He played Jesus Christ in the passion of the Christ Brie . You nasty , I'm going to hell he had Jesus's abs . I had no idea that that was him . I had no idea .

Speaker 3 1:05:39

It's the Catholic in me , he's the forbidden fruit . I don't know how we didn't see it with all that facial hair .

Speaker 2 1:05:45

I know , oh my gosh , he's the forbidden fruit . I don't know how we didn't see it with all that facial hair , I know , oh my gosh you know how many times I've seen that movie , the passion , oh my gosh , every easter he looks so similar to his . What did they ? Did they just make his hair wavy oh my god yeah , oh my god , I feel I retract my , oh my goodness , I'm okay .

Speaker 3 1:06:10

That is bizarre . Now I need to go to confession . Lord , lord , forgive me but that was .

Speaker 2 1:06:19

I had no , because I was like who , who is this guy ? And you know what , sometimes I think I like him more with facial hair why was I ?

Speaker 3 1:06:28

it was he's in prison with the crazy beard and the crazy hair and I was just like he's rocking it .

Speaker 2 1:06:34

I mean I like hair on , and this is what we talk about with american history , guys . It was like yeah , like yeah there's no hair and it's uncomfortable it's it's like you got to find the balance . It's like kissing a dolphin .

Speaker 3 1:06:47

Yeah , I don't want that .

Speaker 2 1:06:49

Yeah , dolphins could stay in the sea . Oh my God . I love it . But yeah , there would be times , I mean even when he was young and with before he became falsely imprisoned . You know he wasn't bad looking .

Speaker 3 1:07:08

I think he got . I guess he got better looking with the money .

Speaker 2 1:07:11

Yeah , with the clothes . I'm a woman of that time . He was nicely coiffed , yeah , he was you know what . I will say that when he pulled up with that hot air balloon , I was watching it with my boyfriend and I was just like . He was like what would you ? Would you be so hell , panties will be dropped . Pant Panties would be gone . I would be panties . What you know ? What do you do ? How do I get into , how do I get in this balloon ? Yeah , how do I get into this ?

Speaker 2 1:07:33

robe with you Anything . Oh my gosh . I also feel like his passion for revenge is hot . Yeah , he was determined . So this is a , this is a . This revenge was a mission .

Speaker 3 1:07:48

He's had to start with the basics which was reading Okay , yeah , we got time , bitch , we got time . I know right . At first I thought the priest . I was like , oh , it's his imagination , like he's going crazy , because he was in isolation . For what did he say ? 13 years . Yeah .

Speaker 3 1:08:02

Yeah , but then he used the priest's dead body to escape the prison . So I was like , okay , the priest is real . So I was like , all right , and then he , yeah , he learned how . Then it was so funny when the priest was like , yeah , if we're both digging , we could be out of here in eight years . And then he's like , and he's like , well , you like , well you got something better to do .

Speaker 2 1:08:24

And this is perfect because it has two perceptions of people that are in the prison system yeah , you have one that has accepted it and is just which . I feel you're more that way you know , accepted it and doing what you can to move on and I feel more like edmond where it's just like how can I like ?

Speaker 2 1:08:39

I'm still in my feelings about it , I still haven't processed this , like you want me to accept that this is my fate and I just can't do that ? You know , struggling with acceptance , um , but he had to start with the basics , girl . I was like damn , this dude gotta learn how to read , he gotta develop an education . Now he has to learn how to fight and do critical thinking . Yeah , because I think I got the impression that the priest understood that he was uh set up , but he wasn't there yeah , so he's he's giving him edmond the grace .

Speaker 2 1:09:14

Yeah , to figure it out . To figure it out , which I too was upset for him . Yeah , and also the digging he had to learn how to dig , because I wouldn't know how the fuck to dig in a fucking prison and it didn't even look like dirt , it was like they were digging in metal , the stones yeah , I would have never thought , I wouldn't even know that was , yeah , the dedication .

Speaker 3 1:09:38

It's crazy .

Speaker 2 1:09:39

You said there was good facial reactions from the actors yeah , so I feel like acting is reacting this is what they taught us in theater class 101 , um and it's always like reacting to the new information that you're getting . And I feel like the main cast you know , edmond , fernand and even mercedes had a really great job of reacting to new information that was being received .

Speaker 2 1:10:10

You know , when edmond found out that he was sold out sold out by fernand you know , when he's with the priest and he's screaming , he's yelling , which I thought was appropriate . I'm stuck in here for the rest of my life and I'm being mistreated , even though they know that I'm innocent yeah it's like you don't give a fuck , and I thought that was rude as fuck .

Speaker 2 1:10:30

When Fernand recognizes Armand at the end of the fight scene , he looked pale as fuck . I'm sure he was going through a lot because his world was shattering , but that dude looked pale as a ghost and I could almost feel like his heart palpitating just by his look alone . I don't know if it was a filter or what . And then Mercedes recognizes Edmond on sight .

Speaker 3 1:10:54

Yeah , I thought that was a good one , that one At the party , yeah , yeah .

Speaker 2 1:10:57

And it's just like and I think it's you get to . I feel like I got to feel that as well . I feel like I got to feel that , feel that as well . I feel like I got to feel that . And then , when fernan recognizes ermon , but with mercedes , I feel like I don't know if you felt that way too . You're out somewhere , you recognize someone and like once your eyes lock , like you just feel it , like you know each other , and that's what I felt on screen with them and I was like , man , this is good .

Speaker 2 1:11:23

Even even though ermon played it cool , yeah , you could still see that he recognized her too . Yeah , so I thought it was good . I was like , where did these people go to school ? And this is the same bitch from rockstar , I know . What did you think ? Did anything stand out to you about their acting or any of the reaction , even even little little knew ?

Speaker 3 1:11:40

oh yeah , and I was like you're so naive oh , I mean , I didn't pinpoint it to their faces , but I thought everyone's acting was like it was really good , and then um , because there was like a long sequence of him in prison , so it's just him by himself and then just him with the priest , and I felt entertained the whole time , like even though sometimes I get bored if it's only one actor or yeah , seriously but yeah , they were very good I thought so too .

Speaker 3 1:12:14

I was like okay so this is based on a novel that I pretended to read in college , in college uh , so yeah , there is a different ending in the novel .

Speaker 3 1:12:28

It's very different . So Edmund comes back and he executes his plan for revenge and he kills Ferdinand . In his mind he's thinking that Mercedes is going to come back to him , but then he doesn't realize that over the years that he's been gone that Mercedes and Fernand actually fell in love with each other and stuff . So he kills Fernand and Mercedes is there like crying over his dead body and he's like what are you doing ? Like come with me . And she's like I haven't even seen you in 13 years . Like this is my husband .

Speaker 2 1:13:08

And do you know if Fernan was still the asshole ?

Speaker 3 1:13:11

that he was well , yeah , yeah , he still framed him and all that stuff and and mesh said this probably didn't know that . No , she didn't know that all the webs we so it's so this movie is very different , like the more I guess the book has a moral of the story and then , like , the movie is different .

Speaker 2 1:13:29

But yeah , I mean , I'm glad you bring that up and we'll . Uh , I think it's whenever you have something that's based on a book , it's just never going to be justified yeah , it also kind of reminded me of shawshank redemption , I know when they started digging , I was like is this , this ? Just everybody doing their job ?

Speaker 3 1:13:50

Well , they dig and then the priest gives him the map and he's like , oh , we'll find the money and stuff . And then I was like at the end of Shawshank that's , did they find money ? Yeah , he goes up to the tree and finds money , yeah , so I'm like , oh , it's like step one escape yeah .

Speaker 2 1:14:11

Step two get rich , yeah basically every escape is criminal's plan . How original the bechdel test what does this get on the Bechdel test ? It fails . I figured I was looking at that board and I was like Not a woman in sight .

Speaker 3 1:14:35

There was only like two women . Then the prosecutor's wife . Oh yeah , that bitch too .

Speaker 2 1:14:42

They're always talking about money , or they're all talking about Edmond .

Speaker 3 1:14:47

Or the count . I should say yeah , that's unfortunate .

Speaker 2 1:14:51

I really like this movie .

Speaker 3 1:14:54

Do you have any standout scenes ? I ?

Speaker 2 1:14:57

like when he's being educated by the priest and he's like putting his hands in the water , because you could tell it's edited and I was entertained , but I guess I like more the characters here , like I really am enjoyed by yacobo and his loyalty to edmond yeah , um , I thought it was very theatrical , very poetic , very passionate , which latinos always are something that he brought that to the table .

Speaker 2 1:15:24

Um , I think I was more impressed by the actors , but I was entertained a lot by the whole movie . I feel like was good , but I like the ending fight scene because I feel I felt like man . I've been watching this for two hours and it's coming together now like this is the moment , and even even fernando was like you don't have the guts to do it and I felt like that too , like the first time I watched it I was like you've waited all this time , you've done all these things .

Speaker 2 1:15:54

This is the last thing . You wanted to savor the moment . And I'm pretty sure he's fantasized about this moment . He just I thought he was getting choked up and I thought it was funny too how , like the mercedes shows up to the scene , which I don't know if you've had any like altercations in your family , physical altercations in your family or in friend groups . It'd be like that . It's two people and then more people show up and then you don't know how these other people got the info to pull up . You got the neighbor staring , so I thought it was exaggerated , but I also was . It's kind of accurate .

Speaker 2 1:16:25

Where she comes in , she's like stop . Yeah , I read the letter that you left for me . But now I have something to relate to you , although this is too much wordy Like just say what you got to say , you know . And just the tension of like when are they going to fight ? Who is going to fight ? I really thought that Fernando was going to walk away . Yeah , I really thought that Fernando was going to walk away . Yeah , I really thought so . But once I seen him look at the fucking , at the road .

Speaker 2 1:16:52

Just being like where am . I going to go .

Speaker 3 1:16:54

What am ?

Speaker 2 1:16:55

I going to do Like you can't survive as a commoner . Yeah , you know , you're going to be you're going to turn to crime . I felt like he's going to turn to crime .

Speaker 3 1:17:04

Oh yeah , he did , or street crime , he was already doing crime . Yeah , street crime , I should say what about you ? I like the scene after the party and , um , the count goes back to his little chariot or whatever , and and mercedes is and she's in there and she's trying to kiss him and she and he's like I'm not the man he kissed her back a little bit yeah so then she leaves and then , um , you know he comes in and then , um , the count's like like , stay out of my life , like what are you doing ?

Speaker 3 1:17:40

and stuff . And then he's yakupo is like , he's like just take the money , take the girl and live your life . And he's like no , and then , um , a follow-up scene later mercedes comes back and he and then edmund's like he's like all I have is my revenge , don't take this from me . Yeah , I was like oh , this is good .

Speaker 2 1:17:58

I was like this dude's in the zone right yeah , and then , when I first watched this movie , I was like damn , like this fool has been robbed of a life . I'm like what was the last time he's been touched by a woman ?

Speaker 2 1:18:08

It had to be this woman , right yeah yeah , and I was like I don't understand how he kisses her back . I was like , but if it were me and I was a dude , my dick would be hard and my heart would be throbbing and I'll go home with a heart on , like after I talk shit to Yakubo . Oh yeah , oh yeah , and I'm just like this and I went . But when he says that when he sees her again he's like don't rob me . I was like damn , this food did not have a heart on at all . Like he probably kissed her like an automatic , like a , like a on like a muscle memory .

Speaker 3 1:18:38

Yeah , like a muscle memory , you know what I mean .

Speaker 2 1:18:39

Like an unintentional just you know whatever , um , but I was like , yeah , this dude's in in for the long , which I'm not capable of . That . I'm too impulsive . Yeah , I'm too . You will probably be more capable . I could see you being able to compose yourself for the long run I'm too impatient .

Speaker 3 1:18:57

Yeah , really . Yeah . I was with yakupo and he was like we could just go . I'll kill him for you , bam , bam , bam , and then we'll spend the money .

Speaker 2 1:19:05

That's how I know I'm a simple-minded poor bitch when he was just like what's the problem ? He give me their names . Bam bam bam . I'll be back by week's end .

Speaker 3 1:19:13

That's latinos for you though , girl , you get the job done . And he was wearing the crowd or whatever like a tiara and he was like let's just spend the money and you know what I feel .

Speaker 2 1:19:22

Like that's what it's all about . Like people have this preconceived notion that money solves all your problems . I mean it'll solve a lot , but you know what they say more money , more problems . I'm sure it was an easier time If I lived . In that time I'll be committing so much crime Because it's like how are you going to convict people without proof ? But you see how easy it is to be framed as well .

Speaker 2 1:19:42

So it's like give or take , but I so it's like give or take , you know , but I probably would have been part of the thief crew . I don't know did you see the twist that , uh , edmund was the father no , I did not see that twist coming and I felt like such a sucker when it happened . I was like obviously that's why they showed the scene that they fucked . But I got lost in all the sauce yeah , like I got lost in all the sauce of him being falsely imprisoned .

Speaker 2 1:20:10

You know his experience in prison um barely escaping prison and then his plan is being executed .

Speaker 3 1:20:17

Wonderfully that I got lost in the sauce yeah , I didn't see that coming either but it was right there , I know , and I was just like oh , so stupid , of course , and it's , and not that they made albert like . I don't think albert looks like him , but I'm like I guess it could be well , they were all brunettes , and then for none he was a blonde , so I was just like obvious , obvious , fucking but , it fit perfectly .

Speaker 2 1:20:41

I felt like it felt like it felt perfect . And guy pierce he's so underappreciated I feel like he's always a good he .

Speaker 3 1:20:47

He delivers every single time I didn't like this hair on him oh he was ugly for showing here . I was like his hair is killing me .

Speaker 2 1:20:54

I mean , he looked better in iron man 3 , yeah , and I don't , and I don't think he's a good looking guy , but I think you know , not the beginning of iron man 3 , you know , when he comes back and speaks to pep , what's her name ? Pepper ?

Speaker 3 1:21:05

yeah , that , that guy okay , not with the teeth , and the , the glasses , the crutches or whatever . No , no , no no , um , I think he's handsome .

Speaker 2 1:21:16

I think he's a handsome man I'm looking at a picture of him right now and he looks okay , but he delivers like I feel like he's so underappreciated . And you know we I wasn't a fan of memento . He didn't look too good in Memento either . I thought he looked good , but he delivers and I think I don't know . What is it ? His smile , his jawline , his dimples there's something about him that makes him handsome and I can't put my finger on it , you just named it .

Speaker 3 1:21:47

His smile , his dimples , his jawline , that was it . Those are the things . His voice too , I think there's something .

Speaker 2 1:21:50

He has a very nice speaking voice , very um , distinct . Yeah , I think that too , and now that I think about his voice , I'm I was like I'm always like I don't even . I don't think he does voiceover , I don't think that's his thing . But I mean he probably could if he wanted to .

Speaker 3 1:22:00

It's very distinct and I like that the makeup too , because , like whatever , like over 13 years had passed and at the end they did each of the actors and it looked good .

Speaker 2 1:22:12

I think so too . I think it complimented everybody Like she . Her hair is done . Now she has some status . Everyone's hair is grown . Everyone's hair was done . Even . Fernand had those choppy pork chop sideburns . I was like what is this ? And then this dude's fucking bitches with these sideburns .

Speaker 3 1:22:36

It was like overnight he just grew that hair and he's like I'm rich now . I got my top hat , I got my sideburns , yeah .

Speaker 2 1:22:44

I was like okay , do your thing . Well , all right , everyone . Yeah , I was like okay , do your thing , alright , everyone . Now it's time for our newest segment popcorn or kernel . For popcorn or kernel , we have the main characters . We're gonna do a triple , a triple . This time we've got Armand , fernand and Mercedes , so would you say that these main characters are relatable um , I mean , if I had to relate to one of them , it'd be Mercedes .

Speaker 3 1:23:14

She's , you know , pregnant . Her baby daddy went to jail . She had you trick a guy into marrying her real quick that was the saddest part for me . Yeah , on her behalf . Yeah , um , but I don't think I could relate . Did you find it relatable ?

Speaker 2 1:23:35

I did find it relatable just because the feelings that everybody was having . I'm emotional so edmond is feeling resentful , angry . You know about this , fernand , I've been jealous of people . I didn't take it to that extent , but I've been jealous of people before um that I've later realized that that was the feeling that I was having , why I didn't like people or the person and mercedes , the same that you said , yeah , you know what a shitty situation to be in , and and I pray for all the women that had to go through that .

Speaker 2 1:24:08

So I would say yeah , I mean it's a story about revenge , right yeah .

Speaker 3 1:24:12

Are they attractive ?

Speaker 2 1:24:15

I'm going to go with , yeah .

Speaker 3 1:24:16

All three of them , yeah .

Speaker 2 1:24:18

Yeah , this is a hot cast . If someone would have brought up a threesome , I'm sure two of them would have been down for it , are they funny ?

Speaker 3 1:24:30

Are been down for it . Are they funny or any of those three funny ? Not those three . No , not those three . Are they charming ?

Speaker 2 1:24:34

I did find edmond charming I found him charming , and then his story and then I said that she's just pretty , she ain't gotta do much yeah fernan I .

Speaker 3 1:24:42

I thought he played the villain very well , like I hated him . He's so good .

Speaker 2 1:24:46

When I get back in the game . That's just . That's what I'm going to want to do . I'm either going to want to be villains or I'm going to want to be a children's actor for children's shows .

Speaker 3 1:24:53

There you go . Did they invoke sympathy or empathy ? I thought , so , yeah , definitely , edmond , being , you know , wrongfully convicted , I felt for him . You know , wrongfully convicted , I felt for him . And then they kept showing the way they kept track of the time . Every year they would whip him on his anniversary .

Speaker 2 1:25:14

Yeah , I felt so bad . I felt sympathy , yeah for him . Mercedes , like to be lied to about that , like you're part of the setup too , yeah , and if I would've known that I would've stabbed him . Setup too yeah , and if I would have known that I would have stabbed him too . Um , and fernand , I didn't feel sympathetic for him .

Speaker 2 1:25:34

I just felt , yeah , I didn't feel shit for him yeah but , it's two out of three , so I'm gonna put it yeah , yeah , for the main characters in the plot are there stakes yeah , there's , he's in jail for life , all of them were at stakes . He was in jail for life . Fernand was becoming bankrupt as part of the plan . Mercedes was like my child , yeah .

Speaker 3 1:25:58

Are the characters in jeopardy ?

Speaker 2 1:26:00

Yes , Through and through I mean maybe not so much Mercedes , just Mercedes , because she's connected to all three .

Speaker 3 1:26:06

Maybe you know , is the conflict interesting . I was carried , oh yeah , the whole way through , the whole way . What's the the conflict ? What is revenge conflict ?

Speaker 2 1:26:22

yeah , I think that's the . I would say that that's the conflict or or being lied to for someone else's gain , yeah , which I think a lot of people have experienced . That , I've experienced that and it made me angry .

Speaker 3 1:26:37

The first one that comes to mind is my old job , job , yup . Yeah , my supervisor was trying to hold me down Because I was doing a lot of her work for her and I was trying to promote and stuff and she was like you don't qualify , I know , is the topic relevant ?

Speaker 2 1:27:02

Is . I mean I think in that perspective , yeah , I mean I'm a petty person . So , yeah , I've been vengeful , I mean I ain't gonna execute a whole lifelong plan I don't think it's that .

Speaker 3 1:27:15

Uh , I would say that's the one . No , it's not really relevant , I know I put no to it .

Speaker 2 1:27:21

I just I'm on the side of it , mom but overall I think it's a popcorn .

Speaker 3 1:27:26

I think so too .

Speaker 2 1:27:29

Alright , now it's time to rate both of these movies . So first up with American History X . What do you rate this movie ?

Speaker 3 1:27:42

I give it a 10 out of 10 . Okay , oh , okay , it was good , it was good . The only one thing I had a problem with was the end scene , when he goes to the bathroom and he finds his brother dead and he's like crying . I wanted more , more gut-wrenching screams .

Speaker 2 1:28:02

I didn't see tears girl .

Speaker 3 1:28:03

I was looking at his face .

Speaker 2 1:28:04

I was like I didn't see tears in this or in your assault scene .

Speaker 3 1:28:07

It was bothering me . And have you ever seen Harry Potter , the Goblet of Fire ? Yes , so the scene where he brings Cedric Diggory's body back and the dad he lets out this cry he's like my boy and it gets me every time and I'm like that's what I wanted in american history x , like I wanted him to really like break down and scream and his brother's dead . Yeah , but that's like my only one negative comment .

Speaker 2 1:28:36

Other than that , I love the movie so what do you rate the count of monte cristo ? I know it was your first time watching it it was my first time watching it .

Speaker 3 1:28:46

It was my first time watching it . I also give this a 10 out of 10 . I , like , super enjoyed it . I'm so glad that you did .

Speaker 2 1:28:54

I was like I don't know if it qualified for the prison topic , but I was like you have two characters that were in prison for different reason and still chose to live their life differently when they came out completely different .

Speaker 3 1:29:08

But yeah , and I also really like period piece movies you do yeah , yeah I'm not a big fan .

Speaker 2 1:29:14

It's very distracting to me , but I fuck with it because I have all these questions like that way it looks uncomfortable . Those shoes don't look good . Is that velvet ?

Speaker 3 1:29:22

is that not velvet ? I have no idea if it was like historically accurate with the costumes or the carriages or what . The air balloon , but any dropper I know , but whatever I was , I was thoroughly entertained and I I felt like the story was very engaging and the plan yeah , it was coming together perfectly perfect . Yeah , it was full circle , full circle . What do you , what do you rate the movies ?

Speaker 2 1:29:48

for american history x . I would consider this my first time watching it , like beginning to end . Um , I give this an 8 out of 10 . I would even give it a 9 out of 10 . To be honest , 9 out of 10 , and the only reason why I misses that is because I didn't . I personally didn't think that danny had to die , like I thought that was a cliche . I agree with user to die . I thought that was a cliche . I agree with user Orlo . I think that that was a cliche .

Speaker 3 1:30:14

The sins of his brother was coming back to haunt him .

Speaker 2 1:30:18

And I'm glad you bring that up , because in gang culture that is a thing they believe . I don't know . You watched Sins of Anarchy ? Yeah , the Latino .

Speaker 3 1:30:26

Oh , the Mayans .

Speaker 2 1:30:27

No , I didn't get into the Mayans no no , no , the one that ends up being with Katie Segal later .

Speaker 3 1:30:32

Oh yeah , Jimmy Smith's character .

Speaker 2 1:30:34

He ends up having a child that has like a heart condition and that's something . This is something brought up in gang culture , where the sins are being brought onto your children , and it's like something that is so hard to deal with and like can't move on from . But I feel like the beef that he had with that actor who was another high schooler he was black , there was no direct conflict between them , it just kind of seemed out of the nowhere for the character's development .

Speaker 2 1:31:10

Out of the out of the nowhere for the character's development ? Yeah , um , because we know that he's danny's becoming cameron's new protege . He's being groomed by him , but he's not out there committing acts of crime . He's he's like on the the edge of it , but he has not committed one yet . Um , the actor , the , the teenage actor , when they meet is because that actor and his homie , two other homies , are beating up a white character , danny masterson's brother .

Speaker 2 1:31:37

The guy from malcolm in the middle , yeah , forget his name reese , reese , malcolm . Um , they're beating him up and even danny doesn't say anything to him . Yeah , and if anything , that that guy blows smoke in his face , right , so nothing happens of that and he just tells that the white guy . You need to learn how to stand up for yourself yeah then they see each other at the park playing basketball .

Speaker 2 1:31:57

He's not really following him , he just notices him there's no beef , that happens and then from that you're just gonna shoot him up . I feel like they should have shown a scene where maybe the elder brother of the black actor to tell him like you know what , we need to shoot up this food , because this is how this starts . You know he's a new protege . You know what his big brother did . You know his big brother shot up our brother , whatever the fuck .

Speaker 3 1:32:20

It was missing that component for me in character development , and without it it felt like his brother died for no reason , and also the crime . Yeah , you bring up a good point . I never thought about it , girl . I was in there like why ?

Speaker 2 1:32:35

because it caught . Because , again , I hadn't seen this movie , so it caught me by surprise like you're just gonna throw this in there because this whole movie is about violence and yeah , let's skip that beat for me . But but the count of monte cristo , of course , that one gets a 10 out of 10 and this one it's . It's funny . You got thieves scamming , you got the romance , um , you got , uh , the priest that dies and he gives very , he gives like a very good , very good performance . Yeah , through and through . And his final words , you know , don't commit the crime . What does he say ?

Speaker 3 1:33:11

don't commit . I wrote it down don't commit the crime for which you serve the sentence and then ed mons .

Speaker 2 1:33:19

Just , they're both just straight up motherfuckers . I don't , I can't make that promise to you . I'm fueled up now . I'm educated bro , you just empowered me .

Speaker 3 1:33:27

Now I know how to strategize and I know how to read , I know I know how to fight and his yeah , like his , his character development from being what he said like a clerk son or whatever he's a commoner to being , like this , master strategist at the end and he's executing all these plans and stuff .

Speaker 2 1:33:48

So good they

Episode Closing

Speaker 2 1:33:49

got Guy Pearce Our man , guy Pearce in here and I felt like everything was always heightening , like to the end Every rationale was on point , but both of these movies Very good Both of these movies . American History X is about two hours long An hour 58 . And then the Count of Monte x is about two hours long an hour 58 , and then the count of monte cristo is two hours and 11 minutes .

Speaker 3 1:34:11

so I feel like both of them carry very well yeah , I never felt like , oh , hurry up , this is dragging , like I was entertained the whole time for both of them .

Speaker 4 1:34:29

I'm steady , trying to find the motive . Why do what I do ?

Speaker 3 1:34:35

Freedom ain't getting no closer . No matter how far I go , my car is stolen . No registration .

Speaker 4 1:34:47

Cops patrolling and that ain't unstop me and I get locked up . I'm out , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye , bye .