We're back with series 4 and ahead of the Oscars next weekend, we bring you a roundup of everything you need to know about this awards season. We discuss Oppenheimer's dominance, the Barbie controversy and where The Zone of Interest sits on the Salo to Up unsettling scale.
Most importantly of all, our very own awards ceremony returns. The Groovies this year include awards for Best Cinema, Short King, and Least Unbearable Cinematic Experience. The Oscars better watch out. There's a new rodeo in town.
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If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon
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We're back with series 4 and ahead of the Oscars next weekend, we bring you a roundup of everything you need to know about this awards season. We discuss Oppenheimer's dominance, the Barbie controversy and where The Zone of Interest sits on the Salo to Up unsettling scale.
Most importantly of all, our very own awards ceremony returns. The Groovies this year include awards for Best Cinema, Short King, and Least Unbearable Cinematic Experience. The Oscars better watch out. There's a new rodeo in town.
-----------
If you love what we do, please like, subscribe and leave a review!
Original music by James Brailsford
Logo design by Abby-Jo Sheldon
Follow us
Email us
just like the Golden Welcome to Groovy Movies. My name is Lily AustiN.
James:And my name's James Brailsford. Hello, and welcome back.
Lily:Yay! Series four. Series four. Four more series. Four more series. That's a little joke for our American listeners.
James:Is it? Is it? Oh god, right,
Lily:what they chant when someone becomes president. Four more years, I think.
James:Oh, right. Yeah. No, now I get it. Sorry. Sorry. I was a bit slow on the
Lily:That's okay. It was a very, very niche reference.
James:Well, I hope it landed with our intended audience.
Lily:I might have got that totally wrong. Anyway, here we are, back again.
James:Back again. Hooray. And yeah, it's been nice to have a little break, but, uh, you know, I have been missing our weekly meetups, Lily.
Lily:Yeah, I've, I've, I've said to you up there. I feel comfortable saying this. To our listeners to that. I think we need to reconfigure our break schedule because there were so many good films that came out over the last few months, and I'm really sad that we've missed them. And now we're going to have to do this kind of flying overview in this award season special.
James:You know, it's a little, a little, a little tapas selection, you know, some years we happened to get bogged down in the weeds of it. This time we're more floating over the surface in a nice IMAX, a nice gliding IMAX flying wide shot. That's what we're doing over the, over the award season.
Lily:So yeah, we're coming back with an award season special. So what does that mean? That basically means us critiquing everything that's happened. And luckily there's not been that much. I feel like we can do that quite efficiently before we move into the main event, our own awards.
James:is, which is what we're all here for, quite frankly, it's the return of the Groovies.
Lily:I love that we're trying to create a hype and mythology around the groovies when, frankly, I'm not sure it's deserved yet,
James:But if we don't hype it, no one else is, right? This is how a hype starts. Somebody's gotta hype it. That's us. And then, then at some mythological point in the future, it snowballs out of our control, completely organically and not all manufactured by us, into its own thing. You know, that's the plan anyway. Not that there is a plan. This is
Lily:everyone behind the curtain.
James:ha ha ha.
Lily:Yeah, it's a necessary evil of self promotion and that's what, that's what we're doing this episode guys.
James:not been too engaged with this year's, uh, kind of, award season. So it doesn't feel like there's much happening, but maybe that's just because I've not been paying as much attention. I don't know. What
Lily:No, I, I agree with you. I really think this year has been, for the most part, pretty uncontroversial and uneventful and I feel like that Um, I feel like this year has been, for the most part, pretty uncontroversial and uneventful and I feel like that There is like two sides to that. On the one hand, part of it is the fact that looking at the films that have been nominated over the last few months, they're all good films. There's not been, that's all fair and correct and, but it's also, they're also all films that are have gone through the rings, the necessary hoops to get nominated. They've all got, most of them have big stars or like a good big director. It's just like exactly what you would expect. There's nothing that unusual. So it's a little bit boring.
James:This seems like the Oscars where it's business as usual. This is like, you know, kind of what, what we might have historically expected the Oscars to do. I mean, you remember it is a celebration that's very Hollywood centric. So it, it, it can only stray a certain part away from that. And we know we still have some, I think we've got a past lives in the best film category, which, you know, This, this is something that's no longer in the best, uh, is it, was it called best foreign film or best international feature, you know, so the, the, the, the formula has evolved slightly, but we can't expect, you know, this is very much within the, what I expect, uh, an Oscars nomination selection to look like.
Lily:I'm very happy. Should we just talk, should we just talk about who, what has been nominated in the Best Picture category? Um, yeah. I like, like all these movies. the ones I've seen, I'm not gonna lie, I haven't seen The Holdovers of Maestro yet, but hear good
James:Same, same, I'm afraid. Yeah. Yeah.
Lily:But, Anatomy of a Fool, amazing. American Fiction, brilliant. Barbie, I've got my mixed feelings about it, but it's an important movie, we'll come back to that and the controversy. Oppenheimer is obviously cleaning up like crazy. I could, I could go on. But yeah, Past Lives, Past Lives and The Zone of Interest. Have you seen The Zone of Interest yet, James?
James:I still, still need to be out of my slightly low mood. I was getting there. I was getting there. And I thought, oh, I could go and see it, but it was Wednesday night and I'd just spent all day lecturing my students. I was like, you know what? I'm just enjoying my day and I'm a bit tired. I'm not, I just haven't found that perfect sweet spot where it's like, it's time, James. It's finally time to experience Zone of Interest.
Lily:I feel like you're really like, you're, you're building this up in your mind.
James:Lily, I've, Lily, I've been to see Saylo. I'm not taking
Lily:exactly. It's not, it's not that it's like nothing in that world. Like.
James:Yeah okay okay,
Lily:Exactly, you, okay, you compare this to Salo, that says it all, like, of course, you know, this is a heavy subject, but the, the power of this film is in the fact that it is not a derogatory horror fest. It's the mundanity that is effective
James:All I'm trying to say on the scale I see where you're coming from totally, but on the scale of Saylo to, I don't know, Up, right?
Lily:up ups. Good.
James:I'm trying to think, you
Lily:Oh God.
James:you know ha ha ha ha ha,
Lily:I love this scale from now on, I think we should always position things in the scale, the, the scale the scale of salo to up
James:I mean, and I would like to think that you could at least, we could at least both agree that it probably tips slightly towards the more sailor end of the scale than it would the up. It's, you know, just, just like, can, can we, but you know, it may not be right down there, but I'm, and I'm just saying I need to be slightly, just ever so slightly have a foot in the up. End of this, uh, this spectrum
Lily:Yeah. And, and in fairness,
James:would my foot be
Lily:get that inside of interest. Yeah,
James:just got my little my little tippy toe out and I just want to dip it in Dip it in the pool of the up end of the spectrum. Would that happen at the zone of interest?
Lily:No, it would not. I can't, I can't lie to you. Uh, all of us strangers is probably a good, a good call in that case because it, it is, it's a very moving emotional film, but there's so much that's beautiful and within the sadness uplifting about it. So that is one where you're, you're, you're probably at the halfway point tipping towards up, whereas zone of interest is very much between. of our strangers and Solo, I'd say, on the scale.
James:that, that, I appreciate that Lily, that, that sounds like the perfect film for what I can handle right now, I feel, halfway point is where I'm at,
Lily:This is Tangential and we will get back to the movies that have been nominated, orminated. Um, yeah, awards season, awards, BAFTAs, BAFTAs came out last week. They came out. It was the BAFTAs last weekend. Did you have, do you have any thoughts on, on that?
James:I say, I've just been, again, gliding over the top of all this stuff, really. I didn't really feel pulled in. I didn't watch any of it. And they always say that the BAFTA's is like almost the perfect indication of what's going to clean up at the Oscars. And, you know, there were no surprises at the BAFTA's. It was all kind of Oppenheimer did very well. I didn't really pay close attention, but it just, again, seems like business as usual, the inevitable awards machine is chugging along and I'm, you know, it'd be great if something did suddenly come from a curve ball and disrupts it, but it just seems very inevitable what's happening and they're all great films. It's not like I'm, um, this is an outrage that Oppenheimer's cleaning up, but, uh, but, you know, it's like, this is like, this is a standard Hollywood. Gonna win lots of statues kind of film.
Lily:Are you happy about Oppenheimer doing so well?
James:ffff The thing is, doing so well it does mean that it makes it less interesting, right? So, there's always that. I never like landslides, either politically or at award season. I just think it's not the greatest. So I guess, you know, but it would be churlish of me to say, No, take away all the awards it's getting. Take them back. It's not fair.
Lily:The hot take from this awards season special is that, yeah. Fair, fine,
James:I think that is the vibe I'm getting from this year. from every like almost objective, if you can be objective about art, metric about what Hollywood likes to give golden statues to. Oppenheimer is like, it's there for a lot of the golden statues, you know. It's craft skills are kind of at the top of its game as far as how it's made.
Lily:But I don't think, Okay, sure, but in terms of those big, like, best picture director, I don't, traditionally, the Oscars haven't really gone for that. It's all political, right, and all, and usually it's the most, like, bland, middle of the road movie, so the thing that's different about this year, right, is that, compared to the last few years anyway, is that the two films that had the most hype around them going into the awards season weren't films that were released at the end of the year, but they were Barbie and Oppenheimer that had this huge, huge, the biggest boom. box office weekends of the year quite a few months ago and that kind of buzz has carried on through right until the end of the year and into the awards season which is an unusual thing. And that should be something interesting to talk about. But because they were both good films, it was a nice thing that both of them did well. They were as good as anticipated and they also were so important for helping out cinemas and the film industry. Kind of off the back of all of these strikes. It's just a bit like, yeah, well, that's nice.
James:it's like, I love that essentially their only problem is they were pretty good and they kind of deserve the hype, you know, so, so which again is, is very Hollywood, like Hollywood likes to reward success. They both made money. They both been, you know, you can argue, but they're both critically acclaimed. So this is like, these are, this is Hollywood. This is, remember the Oscars is a Hollywood centric.
Lily:Oh, wait, but what about the huge controversy that did come out when the nominations first were released to the Oscars was the fact that Barbie has been overlooked in those bigger in the director category and some of the other categories. So it's not, it's, it's not like Oppenheimer has been awarded across the board. The upset has been that Barbie hasn't been given the same grace.
James:That's a perfectly valid argument. It's still doing quite well in a lot of the other, uh, what I mean, I, to be honest with you, li leaded, what excites me when I look at the Oscars, quite frankly, I don't care about the best picture.'cause as we've discussed, best picture doesn't mean the best film. It just means the one that's got the buzz, the hype, the one that's the most worthy according to the Academy voters. So
Lily:And the one that has the most money behind it in their Oscar nomination campaign.
James:Absolutely. Absolutely. Sorry. There's a, but just personally from me as a filmmaker, I prefer costume direction, best editing, best sound design. I'm interested in the technical categories and I have to say Barbie is very well represented there. So I do understand from the best picture one is the one that gets all the fuss and you're right. It will add, add more money to the box office, but Barbie doesn't need more money at the box office. It's more about the recognition
Lily:Well, well, well, in fairness, actually, I'm thinking more about the director category because Barbie was nominated for Best Picture. It has been nominated. Yeah, it's just, it's just, I think, okay, so specifically the controversy with Barbie is probably everyone knows is the fact that Greta Gerwig has been overlooked in the director category, not just at the Oscars, at BAFTAs too. And what are your thoughts on that?
James:Um, yeah, it sucks. You know, there's no glib answer. I will say though, there's an element of, you know, Martin Scorsese, where was he in his career when he finally got the best director Oscar? Because there is a bit of a feeling like with, for example, with Scorsese, that you have to quote, unquote, pay your dues as a director. That you have to have done like 20 years grafting away and then finally, I mean, like remember, um, Nolan's. He's never won an Oscar for his directing. He's like, you know, 20 years into his career. but the Daniels winning last year is proof that that isn't necessarily the case. So I don't have a strong argument to
Lily:No, no, I think that's a very valid point.
James:yeah.
Lily:To cut you off to support you. I think that's, I think that's a really, that's a really good point. Is that, yeah, usually it's, from the small pool at the top of Hollywood, where, who are ever considered for awards, the most popular people, there does tend to be this thing of what you finally get recognized for isn't actually objectively your best work. It's just like, okay, now you it's your turn.
James:Right, exactly. If you were to give Martin Scorsese an Oscar for any one of his films, would you give it him for The Departed and none of the others?
Lily:I think that's the only film of his I haven't seen, so that probably tells you what you need to know. Ha
James:I mean, I certainly wouldn't. It would be, it would be like, not even in the middle of the list, you know? So, so, exactly. It was, it, the Oscar for him being Best Director of The Departed was much more like, well, come on, we gotta give him one for some film, and this one's alright.
Lily:So I'm in two minds about this whole thing. Because, on the one hand, it is absurd that For everyone to get upset that, a movie about Barbie that has done so incredibly well this year. Greta Gerber can now do, I'm sure, whatever she wants. Margot Robbie's production company is at the height of its powers. And you know, in every real sense, they have one. And so the idea that it's a it's not fair that they on top of all of that don't get certain awards and don't get recognized in certain ways. Well, there are other movies that We'll never get that kind of recognition, even though they are probably object. I mean, none of it's objective. That's the thing. It's all so ridiculous. But but, but there are other movies that will just be completely overlooked. People really should see and could use that kind of like spot eye. So it does seem absurd to get upset about it. But yeah, I can't help but then on the flip side of it, also think about the objects of this, which is like, Why is a woman director? Yeah, the Daniels, like you said last year, got recognized. So there are Um, got the award and I'm not even, I wouldn't even expect Greta Gerwig to actually win the Oscar but just like get a nomination, a recognition of what this director did, which I do think, even though I have mixed feelings about Barbie as a film and the messaging of it and stuff in certain ways, I do think that's an incredible feat that this director did. Her vision is incredible, so she, she does deserve to get that kind of recognition and it's just, It's a bit shit that it is a woman director for what is quote unquote, like, you know, a woman's, a girl's movie that is being
James:yeah,
Lily:overlooked. I
James:I agree with you as far as like. Work as a director. It's an incredibly well directed film. There's action sequences in there. There's great use of sets, musical numbers that are incredibly well pull off to correct. You know, there's, it's a well directed film and it's certainly worthy of being on the nominations list. Absolutely. Now with the Daniels, as we were talking, I was just trying to think, is there, can we give the Daniels special, do they get any special kind of, and I just thought, Oh, you know what? Everything Everywhere at Once was a great film, but it didn't make Barbie figures at the box office. It made, like, what did it make? 90 million total worldwide? Whereas Barbie is a creative success and it cleaned up, so maybe there was an element of giving the Daniels, uh, kind of like, getting them up the ladder a bit fast because they didn't have the resources of Barbie. They had a 25 million budget. Maybe there's an element, maybe that's factored in. I don't know.
Lily:would love to think that, but I don't, but given that the whole of the awards Season is powered by, companies plowing, millions into these campaigns, maybe not millions. I don't know what the numbers are, but a lot of money into these campaigns. I don't think I really don't think the judges care at that point that much like it for them. It's just about who, who can get them, who they can feel most warmly about who, who has wined and dined them and made sure that they've watched their movie.
James:there is that. That definitely happens. I mean, that was obviously Miramax's policy for getting Oscars was whining and dining the people in the old folks homes, uh, in Hollywood. But, um, you've got to remember that the directing category of the Oscars is not is only voted for by other directors in the Academy. It's not a general Oh, yeah, yeah, every one of these categories are this. Okay. Maybe worth spelling out for our listener. I just assumed everyone knew this is that the way it works in the Oscars is you cannot vote for a category that you do. You don't work in. So only directors vote in the directing category. Only other actors vote in the best actors category. Do you see? So, so. So this is peer, but Hollywood peer. You have to be in the Academy. It's not like a bunch of judges. It's not the entire pool of people. If you're an actor, you ain't voting shit on the directors. So the directors will be aware of the circumstances under which each film was made when they are choosing. Uh, I don't know how the nominations process goes. I don't know how you get on the shortlist. But again, I suspect it's a peer review element is involved.
Lily:I'm guessing no, but I don't know. I will look
James:know,
Lily:for next year guys, so
James:there we go. It's a So, I
Lily:But that's really interesting. Okay, fine Fair point then, fair point. Could be, could be. Gosh, you're a font of information See guys, this award season special was worth coming to Even if our hot take is, meh
James:On the balance, it's just, eh, you know. It's just how it rolls.
Lily:Can I just whine about what I consider to be a genuine snub, not Barbie
James:Please, whinerly. I don't, I don't have you down as a whiner, so I'm fascinated how this will manifest.
Lily:Aw, that's such a nice thing for you to say. Thank you. Well, here's my wine. May December.
James:Oh yeah?
Lily:overlooked.
James:Hang on. Not completely overlooked.
Lily:fine. Go on. Where has it, where has it not been overlooked? Oh,
James:sure I saw it. Wait. I think he says scrolling through. I definitely saw it earlier. Oh, May, December. Is it best original screenplay? Uh, don't, don't open it! It's got an Oscar nomination for a category that's quite important
Lily:Of course.
James:there's hardly any original screenplay is written anymore, you
Lily:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, fine, sorry. I don't mean to be dismissive, even though I obviously was. I take that back.
James:Take that whining back, Lily. We're not having it on this podcast.
Lily:That's nice, but Todd Haynes is, is, is always overlooked. And I have to wonder why. Feels Well, I don't, I don't want to cast dispersions, but the optics for that don't look good either. I just think May December, like, it was doing something interesting. Really, Really, interesting story and really interestingly made. And I just, I just think it's, I think it's unfair. I think it's unfair that both, both the Leeds got overlooked, Todd Haynes got overlooked. And I'm, and that for me is the real snub of the season.
James:This is why I want this chat. I, you know, I had no idea that you felt quite this way about May or December, and it's good to chat it through. I mean, it's
Lily:Yeah, I mean, I'm a, I'm a Todd Haynes girlie, what can I say?
James:Yeah, and I think Todd Haynes is a good director, but I just think he's not, I think it was ultimately, he's not, whatever Hollywood is, he's not Hollywood enough, and that's Hollywood's problem, not Todd Haynes problem.
Lily:Yeah, well, exactly. I just wonder if it's, if that's the, if that's really what's going on in the subtext of that. But anyway, okay. So what do we think? See, it's so, I was like, let's quickly say what our predictions are for the Oscars. And it's like, Oppenheimer
James:Oppenheimer for everything.
Lily:and Poor Things, of course, for costume and for Emma Stone, which is deserved. She's amazing in it. Have you seen Poor Things?
James:I have seen poor things, although I have to confess, I did my, I struggled, because I, I feel like I have an attention span problem, so
Lily:I think it drags a
James:right, and, and I gone f
Lily:it
James:I'd gone for my pick and mix halfway through and I stuffed the pick and mix to try and keep me going and then I was on one of those recliners and I just felt a little bit sleepy, so the second half of it is a bit hazy. I couldn't be too specific about the end put, but if you're saying it also dragged a bit, then no wonder.
Lily:There is a bit, I think that second act, once they're on the boat and stuff, things do start to drag a little bit.
James:Yeah, that's when I, hit my post pick and mix slump.
Lily:There's so many interesting things that are being explored in that movie, but I found it quite oppressive to watch because there's this like, creeping danger underneath. And I almost felt a bit cheated that never really comes to anything, but you have to battle with that. But that's a very much Yerges Lanthimos, you know. signature. So I
James:rom com, just cheer up a bit, you know. That's, that's what I say. Yeah, yeah,
Lily:lobster is as close as we're going to get to a romcom for him.
James:that's right. That's it. If killing of a sacred deer is a bit too heavy, why not try the lobster?
Lily:Yeah, yeah, I honestly, for me, that's the, that is probably the sweet spot. Poor things is a bit like, oof, oof, it's a bit
James:And also, because it's also studio bound, like you said, that oppressive feeling, I think part of it is because they're just in a studio all the time. You just want it to go to a nice open space.
Lily:Apart from when they walk in the park by the lake a few times and that, and it's so jarring that they do that because of the rest of the time you're in this, this studio space. I mean that was part of the deliberate thing, right? That was his choice to like, the stylized thing. She goes traveling, she sees the world and it's like a child in a, watching a, in a play or something. Like it's fantastical because her eyes are
James:something. or something.
Lily:That's the thing, it's funny when you, you're like, Oof, I don't like this. But you're like, But the director is doing it deliberately, therefore it's okay.
James:I know, I know,
Lily:Whereas, yeah, Whereas in real life, if someone does something that you don't like, the fact that they do it intentionally, makes you
James:like, what a
Lily:them.
James:I think my brain was thinking something like that, what is Yorgos vibe? Who is like, you know what I want to put on tonight on the telly. I want to put on a Yorgos Lanthimos film because it feels almost like, you know, I'm appreciating his film. Can't knock what he's doing. Cause it is a unique voice in cinema, but you have to kind of, I don't know, you have to turn up for one. You have to, it's almost a little bit like doing homework, just a little.
Lily:Yeah, for me I don't know if it's exactly the feeling of doing homework. It's more just, yeah, the fact that there is this oppressive darkness that creeps through his work. And, the homework element of Poor Things is the thing I was most interested in, this idea of exploring all the norms of, of our, of our world, like, monogamy and rules about sexual, sexual politics, all that stuff. And what it would mean if those things weren't embedded in you from your birth kind of thing. It's all new and how you'd be. And, and even like stuff around sex work, you know, I, I was like, so on board with his line of argument and, exploration., but But the, but what I found it so hard to watch, even though I think it's absolutely accurate, is the depiction of men in this film. You know, every man man is a predator who is taking advantage of women from, Godwin, her creator to like all the other men she encounters, they're all trying to take things from her and, fairplay to Yerges, that, that feels completely accurate and it's true. It's just like, that is quite actually, for me, hard to watch. It's like painful to, have a, a film in a way, make light of and comedically explore the worst versions of patriarchy, you know? It's hard. It's hard. I don't, I don't, it's not joyful for me.
James:you're not going to get an easy ride at one of his films.
Lily:Yeah, but I found it quite in the cinema. I was sat next to a couple on my left who were watching it like it was like a, like a Marvel movie. They're like, Oh! Oh my god! Ah! Oh! Did you see that? Woo!
James:great that they were into it.,
Lily:I was finding it really annoying, but I also was like warmed by it. So I didn't mind it. And then on my other side, at the end, the guy next to me said to his Companion. Um, oh my god, I loved it. Definitely, oh my god, definitely the best film at least of the last five years. I was thinking, what was, what was the film five years ago that you have in mind for that? And so everyone around me was like in rapture about this movie. And I found it really interesting, and I thought about it for days after, and it stayed with me, and that's all the things you want from a film. But I couldn't be like, Ah, amazing about it because so much, I felt so confronted by it. But I realize that's my own personal issues It just made me feel a little bit crazy. Like I was like, what, what's wrong with me that I'm not feeling those things. But then I, I had a drink with a friend, Megan, shout out to Megan, a few days later, and we actually were kind of, she made me feel a bit better about it. She helped me like unpick what it was that I didn't, that I found so unsettling, which I've just kind of articulated to you now. So, That's my thoughts on four things.
James:God, we haven't gone to the Groovies yet, gee whiz.
Lily:I know, I actually, I didn't think I had much to say, but I realized I had, I have actually quite a lot of thoughts on these films, even if not on the award season itself. Okay, well, welcome everyone to the 2024 Groovies Awards.
James:so what have we got coming up first then, Lillia? First on our awards list.
Lily:So first on the roster is the very illustrious award, Short King.
James:Which, I mean, basically it's a, it's a film that doesn't last too long, right?
Lily:Yeah, yeah, you know, anyone who listens to this podcast would know that I in particular really value a film that you
James:Oh, Same.
Lily:Yes.
James:Get me in and out of that movie theater in 90 minutes, and I'm happy, right? Once you start going over that, and so many movies do, it's like you better be worthy of being over in 90 minutes. You better be putting the effort in to keep me engaged.
Lily:Well, I think nowadays a film that's an hour, an hour and 45 is kind of the best you can hope for. It's so rare to get one that's an hour and a half and well, I have a couple of nominations because the first, the first one that really came to mind was Past Lives, the aforementioned Past Lives, an hour and 46 minutes. That is, these days, you can't really hope for shorter than that. And, and that was, that Was perfect for this film, right?
James:Absolutely, the, the, the kind of the story it was telling and the way it was telling it, which was very, very atmospheric, very poetic, you can't, you can't, you've got to be careful making that too long, so yeah, perfect length,
Lily:But then I came to, for me, what is The perfect film for this category. So I'm, I'm pitching it to you, James. I think this should be the winner for
James:oh yeah,
Lily:is Rylane. Have you seen Rylane?
James:I haven't seen Riley, no,
Lily:You have got to see Rylane. So it's a cool hour and 22 minutes, utter, utter perfection right off the gate, and it's like the most perfect rom com since, I would say, When Harry Met Sally.
James:bloody hell, that's a no faint praise from Lily Austin there,
Lily:I know. okay, true. Confession, I, so I didn't see it in the cinema when it came out. Passed me by slightly and then when I was doing my research for this award, I was looking at films that came out this year and, and, and running times and saw this one was now in 20 minutes and I'd heard nothing but good things about it. Like I knew that it was a kind of a, I think it was a BBC production set. Of course, Rylane suggests like set in South London, Rylane is a market in Brixton. I heard that it was very funny. So I was like, okay, well, let's see. And it literally, I watched it last night and I was in complete rapture. It's like such a great movie. It's so funny. It has this like really interesting. style, like it's a little bit like a reference that the director, Rayne, Allen Miller mentioned was peep show. The closeups and the kind of the stylize of that, but without breaking the fourth wall wall. But she just has this very interesting, like, visual language. She was like an, I think she started off as an illustrator or an artist. So you, that really comes through. But it's just very funny and. A perfect story of, of a, a meet queue and then the, the day that follows, it's honestly so, so good. And, and an hour and 22 minutes that's the, the absolute length it should be. We stay with these characters. The perfect amount of time, and it still feels like a full story. It doesn't feel like it's too short, you know.
James:That's a total curveball to me because I, I, again, I was struggling to find one that was short that I had seen, so it was Past Lives was for me as well was my recommendation,
Lily:Oh, really? Okay, great. Well, okay. Well, then that's tricky because you need to see Rylane before we can make a decision, really. Can I overrule you? TBC.
James:you, no, because you've seen Past Lives, so I, I will, I will defer to you between the two which you think it should go to.
Lily:Well, also, as much as Past Lives, favorite film of the year. It's had a lot of recognition. it's so hard with the short, short King Award. It's, I think it's the toughest category because there are so few potential nominees.
James:I
Lily:And they have to
James:was,
Lily:movies.
James:I don't know what's happened to the art form of like a really tight 90 minutes. It's because it is its own art form because as soon as you start expanding duration, it means you don't have to tighten things up as much. Bring back a 90 minute and done. I, I'm sure audiences won't feel short change as long as it's a good film.
Lily:I think it's the streaming services influence. I think the fact that streamers feel like we can offer people unlimited time. You don't need to think about how long, how, how long it's going to last in the cinema and all this stuff. It, there, then that the knock on effect of that, because Then they can say to directors, do what you like, don't worry, no time constraint, which is a, is a draw.
James:yeah, it's this bingeable, uh, idea that you can watch an entire series. So when you go to see a film and you're watching 90 minutes, but it's 90 minutes of concentrated storytelling.
Lily:Okay, so moving on after that very brief initial award, okay, so Our next award will be in the category of least unbearable cinematic experience
James:Which, which I had to get my head around. That's like, wait, is it the least bad? The best worst? So anyway, I'm seeing this as for me, it's the best cinematic experience. And for you, it's the least unbearable. You have to be dragged to a cinematic experience whereas I run to it.
Lily:I mean, obviously all, all movies are a cinematic experience, of course, but, but, but generally, uh, James really prioritizes. The cinematic experience it he privileges that and I often don't but I've been going on such a journey this last year These since we started the podcast. So
James:Which has all, all been part of my Machiavellian plan. This was like Machiavellian plan number one. Was just to, you know, just to elevate your appreciation of going to the cinema.
Lily:There's nothing I love more than going to cinema It's just a question of like this notion of the of how great an IMAX is and I'm just like very skeptical about
James:Notion!
Lily:Yeah, because I think that there are so many factors that make a cinematic experience pleasurable. And the main thing for me is how much I hate the BFI at IMAX. How horrible, how an ordeal it is to watch a film there.
James:just give my riposte here, which is for me, this is the greatest cinema screen Kingdom, if not in Europe, it is the greatest single screen.
Lily:This is actually what it all comes down to. It's this, there's this one screen that James absolutely loves and I absolutely hate. This is the nadir of the issue, and, and from that everything else ricochets out, so so this is an award that just acknowledges that, um, so what are your, what are your nominees?
James:Oh, I mean, come on, if you had to guess what my number one nominee would be, what is it, please?
Lily:Um, gravity?
James:Oh, now, ah, I
Lily:No, that doesn't count, that
James:Yes, I'm only counting ones that are kind of award season worthy or eligible
Lily:Yeah, sorry, that was, that was just me just remembering I was going to, because we went to the BFI together to see Gravity. Um, okay, so Oppenheimer? Yeah,
James:in 70mm IMAX at the BFI IMAX, yeah,
Lily:at the BFI IMAX.
James:Just to be clear, in case you were thinking about any other IMAX, I meant specifically that one IMAX.
Lily:And in case listeners have forgotten, James saw that at, what was it, 8 in the morning?
James:Yeah, for 8am screening.
Lily:And I, in contrast, saw it at, like, 11. Or was it it Was it was nearly, it was actually, you're right, no, it was after midnight because the guy said good morning to everyone when they made the announcement at the beginning. So I had to sit in the most uncomfortable seats with the least amount of leg room with my like neck craning at this horribly large screen. And I was there until like, I think I was there till like 3. 30 in the morning. It was horrific.
James:Torture, sounds like torture. I know that very much we've been, you know, locking, locking holes, but like I had different views on how much we rate IMAX. Right. But what I want to know is the nitty gritty of what is it you don't like about IMAX. And if I can just proffer some observations and you can yay or nay, if I'm worth about, I think you find actually that larger screen actually slightly an unpleasant sensation. Would that, like as a sensory experience, it's just a bit too much. Would you say is that. And
Lily:Yeah, I think so. I
James:that's fair enough, like, now I'm realising I'm basically forcing you to go to my favourite screen, but actually it's a physically unpleasant sensation for you, which we don't want that, we don't want that,
Lily:It's, It's, a combination of factors. So, listeners, full disclosure, I saw Dune 2 two nights ago. And it was fucking amazing. I was like, should I swear? I'm gonna swear. Um, and unfortunately James couldn't join me because it was a press screening in London. We really need to Yeah, we, we really need to start some campaign to get press greetings in the North because it's not fair. But, I loved that. We'll talk about it more next week when we do our June 2 episode. But, that was perfect for me because Even though we weren't actually even sat in the middle, because God, you have to get there very, very early to get the best seats. We were kind of to the right, but it was, I had the best time watching it because it was to me a very big screen, but not so big that it was like hard work to watch. And The seats were, were, were comfortable and I had, I had sufficient leg room. I could've jumped a bit more, not gonna lie. But it was still, it was good, it was good, it was good. So, I think it's just the combination of these things, which for me, the, the, it's like, when it's, when it's so, so big that I feel like I have to look from left to right in this, like, labored way, rather than seeing the full thing at once, that's a lot. And then on top of that, the really uncomfortable Chairs, like that combination, because most of these, the films I now see in IMAX, are well over two hours long, you know, pushing three, that's like, a lot, you know?
James:yeah, no, no, exactly. And now I started to understand the details of what it is you particularly don't like now it's like I can start tapering and tailoring the suggestion to kind of, to get the ultimate sweet spot between the technical presentation, but also your enjoyment of that. So, like I say, I think. Sounds like the slightly smaller IMAX screens, but also maybe Dolby theaters in your future. You know, we want to dial that in that you want to get you the best performance, but the most enjoyable. Whereas for me, I'm like the bigger, the better I, you know, I don't mind scanning round a huge frame. I actually enjoy it, but what I'm trying to say is like. Those just happened to be my preferences. And now I'm like, Oh no, they are literally your idea of not a good time. So like the seats can't argue with that. They are so fucking bad in the BFI. But for me, it's like, I take the hit on that to get the big picture and the really great sound system. I can live with that balance in that, but I can't deny they're fucking murder those seats. I mean, I had to sit on right next to the aisle for Oppenheimer, just so I could stretch my legs, you know, just like literally, cause it was, yeah.
Lily:Do you have other nominations, or is that your one?
James:Uh, Killers of the Flower Moon, as far as cinematic experience, I was keeping it to stuff that, that is award season. Otherwise, it would probably be Gravity or, or Dune Part 1 that I saw a couple of weekends ago on re release, you know.
Lily:sure.
James:I mean, D Dune Part 1 was pretty, pretty, pretty amazing, to be honest.
Lily:Yes, yes. But yes, these are, these are, historic wins. This is, we'll have
James:Yeah. Ha
Lily:for kind of excellence in our life that we like. Um, on that, well, actually on that note, I, also had a historic nomination that came to mind, which was seeing the room in the summer at the Prince Charles Cinema,
James:yeah.
Lily:purely for like communal. that kind of element of cinematic experience. Watching, watching a film with a room full of people kind of quoting along, shouting things out, throwing things at the screen. That is, that is a very, very special kind of experience. And I don't know, actually, if it really counts as cinematic in, in the truest sense, but I just had to acknowledge that because it was, I'll never forget that. It was so much fun.
James:no, I, I completely agree with you. I've always said there's like almost two categories of cinematic experience. There's the kind of like, how good was the presentation? How big and how well done was it for the film? It was. And then there's also just The communal experience, like, was it in an interesting environment? Like, Hebden Bridge, I'm suddenly appreciating, has a cinema that's still working now, that's been working continuously as a cinema since 1921, since the silent era. So like, going to see a film there is a special occasion, but it's not going to be the best quality sound and picture. It's just that other kind of more communal cinematic experience.
Lily:Totally. Um, I also had clothes with the Flower Moon on my list, James, because it is a beautiful cinematic experience. I, of course did not see it in IMAX or Derby or whatever. I saw it at a, at a humble cousin, I think, but I'm not sure if it was for dx. It
James:yeah, I think we did. No, no, no, 4DX.
Lily:God.
James:the motion simulator
Lily:I always mix these things up. Yeah, sorry. I think it was 4K. It was one of their biggest screens. So probably. It looked good, looked good. But for me the main thing was the realisation that watching a film in a cinema that is not very busy is great. It gets seats at the back because I could get up, I went and did stretches. I was doing stretches at the back while watching the film and that just changed everything. It just made me realize that, oh my god, maybe we need to do some kind of cinema yoga partnership when Groovy Movies gets into partnerships, James, because
James:Ha ha ha! Okay, yeah.
Lily:to still watch the film, but just have that break, move about a bit, stretch yourself.
James:for a little wander. I do need a
Lily:Yeah, but you leave the cinema. I don't want to leave the cinema. I want to keep watching the movie. I'm aware that this is like a privilege that not many people would be able to enjoy because it was just so, because there were literally like seven people in this, in the cinema screening, unfortunately.
James:I mean, you know, you go to a cinema during the daytime during the week and it's more likely going to be very empty. And yeah, I quite like having the cinema to myself.
Lily:Oh my God. I love it.
James:a good indication for the health of the cinema
Lily:Well, I was going to say, again, just reflecting the fact that this film is, was a, is a streaming film first, basically. Yeah, but my final nomination, so I'll let, I'll let you decide on who the winner is. But for me, it's got to be Taylor Swift at the IMAX at the light in Cambridge. That for me was just perfection, perfection. See seeing the film in, in a very superior format, but very comfortable seats. Not too big, a baby IMAX as you like to say, James. That was
James:ha! Little cute, little cute IMAX. Oh, it's so cute. It's like kawaii. Kawaii? Is it cool? Like, it's like, that's my idea of cute. Is a little, is a kind of little IMAXs, or LIMAXs as they're slightly more derogatory
Lily:I love a LIMAX,
James:You go to a lime max, you're still gonna see a better image and have better sound than 95% of any cinema screen in the world right now. So even though I give it a dig, I still recommend it.
Lily:HanDB, HanDB, and what's great, just to finish up on why this was a great film, is again, in terms of being able to get up and stretch and stuff, it was a, it was a pat cinema, but, pretty pat, but you know, it's a Taylor Swift concert movie so people expect you to get up and bop around, so if you need to stretch, no questions will be asked.
James:excellent, excellent. And nice seating. And you can get up and have a stretch.
Lily:Yeah, so what do you reckon, James? Who is our winner for least unbearable slash best cinematic experience?
James:I think I'm gonna give it to, does Dune 2 count in this, by the way?
Lily:No, because it came out like Like
James:because, you know, because I think we, we
Lily:Dune yet, Dune 2 yet. You can't give it an award in anticipation. The The scandal. The controversy. The voting body
James:ha ha! ha!
Lily:in hours. We'll get cancelled just like the Golden
James:I think if you had a great time at that IMAX, watching DUDE 2, I'm willing to give it to that in advance of seeing it myself.
Lily:need to talk about it next week, but it was a fucking, spiritual experience. It was amazing.
James:My choice would definitely stick with Oppenheimer, but I'm gonna take, I'm gonna take into consideration your knees and need to stretch and go with, uh, yeah, I can back, um, I had a great time watching Taylor Swift in IMAX, so yeah, let's go with that.
Lily:Oh my god, you're so sweet. I don't think Taylor needs any more awards, though. I think we should, we both voted for Curse of the Flower Moon. It's gotta be Curse of the Flower Moon, because we both nominated it.
James:Fair enough. Yeah. And it was a film that I recommended my film school students to go check out at the IMAX and they had a great time with it because they'd never quite seen films being presented that well in. In their lives because 20 years of crap digital cinemas. So yeah, yeah. Kills the flower moon.
Lily:Excellent. Okay, so, we now move on to A very interesting new, it's a new award, new category for this year. That is the Saltburn Award for most creative gross out moment.
James:Which is hard because Saltburn wins the award of the Saltburn award. I would say that that's number one.
Lily:Oh, well, I, I mean, look, my thinking was Saltburn got a lot of attention this year. You know, mixed feelings about this film, but it definitely won the kind of, you know, buzz, TikTok. Award, uh, for most conversation reflected in threats and how people listen to our episode also, quite frankly. And so I wanted to just like, off the back of that. Look to other movies that are also similarly creative in their, in their ways of shocking and scandalizing and disgusting an audience But the truth of the matter is no other film really this year can beat it I did, I, and my research was extensive, unfortunately,
James:it's slim pickings. Saltburn
Lily:Saltburn gets the award. The Saltburn Award we award to Saltburn
James:hopefully as the groovies come back each year and the award matures, we'll have many more candidates. But
Lily:I think that's definitely gonna be a knock on effect. I think I think the criticism that Saltburn got about it being made for TikTok is actually what really what that is, is a hint at what is to come with movies. I think movies aimed towards a younger audience are gonna have that in mind, and I'm interested to see what that will mean for
James:when I go to my 4DX screenings, which I don't go to them as many as my hyperfixation a year and a half, two years ago now, but anyway, when I still go, there will often be an advert for take your phones out and do a Tik Tok and, uh, you know, you're allowed to take your phones out and we'll, and then they vibrate the seats and flash everything. Oh yeah, because obviously it's like the most Tik Tok able thing ever is going to the cinema and it's like a theme park ride and crazy shit happens. So yeah, they're trying to, you know. We're trying everything.
Lily:All right. Okay. So moving swiftly on. I like that that one was efficient.
James:Woof. ha ha
Lily:a James very special award. Nolan highlight of the year.
James:Now, I have to say, I could definitely have made a 45 minute out of this, but for the purposes of keeping things brief, I just need to check. Is this, like, the Nolan highlight that, uh, my personal highlight regarding something to do with Christopher Nolan? Or do you think it's his professional highlight as I see it?
Lily:Um,
James:got answers for both.
Lily:I had in mind, like. It could have been an amazing moment in one of the, in the Oppenheimer, or it could be something that happened, it could be anything you want, honey, it's, James, it's your
James:ha.
Lily:make what, make of it what you will, I'm interested, I'm interested in both, so,
James:I would say grossing just shy of a billion dollars on a film that you made on 100 million dollars, hmm, you're gonna love that shit, because I'm sure he wasn't expecting to make those numbers, I reckon he was hoping for like Dunkirk numbers of about 500 million, so I think anything above 500 million, he was laughing, and especially I think he gets like, 20 percent of the box office or something. He gets a very good deal. So I think for him, I think he'll be very happy with that. And for me personally, It was seeing Tenet in 70 millimeter, something I never thought I'd do because it came out during the pandemic and it was difficult to get to a cinema to see it in 70 millimeter, but finally got to see it last year. So that was, that was a personal highlight.
Lily:Yay! Okay, great. Highlights all around for both you and your love, Christopher Nolan. For me, it was just like Killian Murphy finally getting the recognition he deserves. As
James:You go from Christopher Nolan basically being his go to support artiste who gets, not a featured role, to suddenly you are in every single scene of a film where you are the main character and you are carrying the entire Christopher Nolan production on your shoulders. That's hardcore.
Lily:Totally. I, I do hope he gets Best Actor for Oppenheimer. I, I think he deserves it. I think he did a great job.
James:I reckon Cillian Murphy will get it, but yeah. But yeah, he certainly deserves it. Ha ha
Lily:All right. So moving on,
James:ha ha!
Lily:the Huh Award for most unexpected performance. So James, what are your nominations?
James:It was a little bit tough for me, just from all the films I've seen. I mean, I think we're kind of saying that this Oscar Awards, everything just seems a little bit, like, inevitable. And so I, I was struggling to think, the closer come thing was perhaps Emma Stone in Poor Things. But it wasn't a curveball, I was expecting that kind of performance. So, I didn't, you know, as in, you know, I wasn't going, oh, what is this performance she's giving? The trailers and the set up. But it was certainly a performance, but I'm not quite sure it's the spirit of this category, Lily. That's the thing.
Lily:Okay, so it's interesting you say that because I actually wanted to do this award because I had one actor in mind. And it was from the exact same film. I'm talking about Mark Ruffalo in Poor Things. That, for me, was a very pleasant surprise. Okay, so I've talked at length about my mixed feelings about Poor Things. On the whole positive, I would say. But, Mark Ruffalo had no idea he could be so funny. Had no idea he could be British.
James:Ah, I
Lily:things were a real curple for me. I mean, I've seen him in a lot of things and he's usually, you know, he's usually some kind of good guy or kind of Worst. I'm thinking about, the kids are all right. If you've seen that movie, he plays kind of a bit of a deadbeat guy. He's a bit lost and like a bit selfish, but this, this kind of Machiavellian sex test was like a whole other world for me. I was very impressed.
James:Oh, interesting. Maybe it's because, well, you haven't seen many Marvel films. Because, you know, he's got, he displays a good, I mean, he's not dark or anything in that. But he displays a very good comedic touch.
Lily:There's a very good interview with him on, Fresh Air, the podcast Fresh Air, and he himself initially turned down the role because he said to Yoko Sanzo, Oh no, I don't think I can do this kind of character. this is a whole other, this kind of CAD thing is not really my beat. I can't do that. I can't do that kind of funny, he actually said, and Yoko Sanzo was just like, of course you can. And that was the end of the conversation.
James:Haha, great.
Lily:like we're both equally surprised, but I love that you saw the potential in Mark, even if he couldn't.
James:like the slightly darker twist, but, uh, but yeah, I've been aware of his, like, he can handle comedy, he can turn his hand to it. And I suspect that's what Yorgos Lanthimos wanted him for the part, is that he'd just bring a bit of that. People going into it who might normally see Marvel movies and not see a Yorgos movie might be interested because he's, Mark Ruffalo's in it and they kind of know him as a certain type of actor from the Marvel films. So maybe you just want a bit of that energy in his film.
Lily:That's so funny because I've not seen any Marvel films or, and not, certainly not Mark Ruffalo in that, so I think of him very differently because I seen him in Spotlight, and that's kind of the world where I think of him as being in these days. So that's interesting.
James:Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It's more independent, more indie feeling fare. Whereas, you know, to be honest, to the mainstream audience, he plays the Hulk in the Marvel films. Great for an actor to have two fan bases in very different worlds, you know?
Lily:Kind of the dream, I guess, in some sense. Okay. Well. Moving on to our final and most illustrious award. That is Best Cinema.
James:A subject close to my heart.
Lily:It's definitely been a tough year for cinema as well as the film industry in general, the strikes. So here is our ode to the cinemas we love. James, what are you, what are your nominees?
James:yeah, I'm, I'm trying to just think slightly out of the box. Cause I mean, I always prioritize cinema like presentation that that's my number one priority, which unfortunately does often mean that those wouldn't be at more independent cinemas. So I love, I love my Viewprintworks IMAX, although the BFI IMAX is a better, I think a sweet spot, maybe it's, especially if I'm taking into account the fact that IMAX doesn't really. On the largest ones doesn't really do it work for you. The Dolby theaters, I think are very good cinemas. There's only, I think, four or five of them in the UK. You've got a couple in London, one in Liverpool, one in Manchester. I do think they are the sweet spot. They are like the Rolls Royce of modern cinematic You get the really good presentation of sound and picture. You also get super comfy recliners.
Lily:I mean, that sounds amazing. I do think I'm going to go see June at Adobe. As soon as, as, soon as I can just to compare and contrast with my IMAX experience.
James:So what about you? I'm fascinated. I'll be intrigued to know your thoughts.
Lily:Okay, so, first on my list. I took out a Curzon, cult membership this year. 25 a month, so quite steep. But you do get 7 cinema tickets or use of Curzon Home. Each month, we're not sponsored by Curzon, though we should be. Um, and so that was a bit, that sort of became a bit of a pressure point for me. I was like every week, Oh my God, what am I going to say? Got to make the use of this, this membership. So I went to a lot of Curzons over this year. And I've got to say the flagship Curzon in Mayfair is an amazing. beautiful cinema. It's, dates back to 1934, James. Art, Art Deco and there's a really nice bar at the front, which again is this very Art Deco vibe with low lighting, great for a date, great date cinema, so I definitely recommend that, got this amazing Art Deco inspired ceiling and these, like, reliefs on the wall by a renowned sculptor, William Mitchell.
James:Amazing.
Lily:I did my research, because also I found something quite alarming, but kind of interesting. I got into a bit of a wormhole, like, wormhole? This is the influence of June.
James:Yeah!
Lily:I got into a wormhole looking into this, because there's actually a battle right now going on between the landlord of the building and the person itself. because the landlord wants the restaurant next door and the cinema to be merged somehow. It said something about it that Curzon said it was going to be like a glorified member club. So that's rather alarming, because basically that could mean the end of this amazing cinema. But, it does look positive, the lease ends actually in March, so we'll find out this month. And then the other one that I have to mention, of course, I feel like it probably could be our winner every year, is The Prince Charles.
James:Oh yeah. Yeah. I mean, I've, I've got mine in there as well, but I have to say, I thought, I thought you might bring it up. So I didn't mention it, but absolutely. Prince Charles.
Lily:I feel like that, that cinema is, is our cinema because I think you were the one who introduced me to it.
James:Oh, really?
Lily:and we've definitely, we've seen a few films there. And so I, it makes me think of you and us getting told off for talking. Because the Prince Charles is a very fun cinema. It's great for a sort of start your Friday night with your friends in Soho, honestly. Because it's such a, the audience are really there for it and up for a good time. But also, there's Great Bar, and it's, yeah, very, and it's such an amazing mix of films that they show, like, every, every day you've got old and new, like, really eclectic, really interesting things being shown.
James:And they care about showing film prints. So you can often most days catch at least one film either in 35mm or 70mm. If you're intrigued as to what all this fuss about film prints is or seeing things on film, well, go to Prince Charles. You can check it out.
Lily:Totally, totally. But yeah, but then also there are some quite serious cinema goers who, who go there, and they will not want you to talk through the credits. So just keep that in mind, guys. So Prince Charles then. Are we saying Prince Charles? I feel like it could be the winner every single year because we love it so much, but
James:Because the thing is, Prince Charles, for me, I don't find Prince Charles that comfortable. I find it, the air conditioning, it's usually a bit warm, the seating isn't the best position. So,
Lily:that's so true.
James:You've got to love it for what it is though, which is it's trying to give people access to things that the main cinemas don't give you, which are film print, which are unconventional films, films from the past, you know, so I think for our inaugural award, I think Prince Charles has got to have it to give it the recognition and support that I think it deserves.
Lily:that's like the opposite of the Oscar strategy which is like, wait a hundred years and then finally it recognised, but okay, let's just get it out of the way for this year and then we'll, next year we'll, we'll get more into the weeds about the whole thing, so this year the Prince Charles cinema has it. All right, so that is it for for our second Groovies Awards ceremony.
James:If you've got any ideas for any awards you'd like to see next year or any suggestions, then get in touch. We'd love to hear them. And if we think we can fit it in, we will do,
Lily:If we don't keep rambling on forever and ever.
James:we'll, we'll try and get a little bit tighter, please leave us a like, or leave us a, a nice five star review. It all helps to get the podcast out and about in the world.
Lily:please. Love that. Nice five star review. Nothing, nothing too ostentatious.
James:Don't go out of your way to leave us a bad review. Right?
Lily:Please, God, no. Alright, so, thank you guys for listening. It's nice to be back for series four. And we will see you next week for an episode on June 2. Woo!