Mystery Men / I Saw This at the Theater (Guest: Audrey Elliot)

Costume Designer, and 90s babe appreciator, Audrey Elliot,  gives an all-star performance as "guest," breaking down her choice "Mystery Men" (1999) Starring Ben Stiller (Tom Crooze), William H. Macy, Janeane Garofalo, and Hank Azaria. Just like the movie, this episode has it all; what not to "fuck with," the partial Joel Schumacher filmography, Michael Douglas V. Michael Douglas, “bump nails,” and of course....BIRTHDAYS. Crack a Pepsi™️ with us, relax, and enjoy!

Plot: A group of inept amateur superheroes must save the day when a real superhero, and their city are threatened.

Recorded 2/23
1hr 53mins

**All episodes contain explicit language**
Main Artwork - Ben McFadden
'Review Review Intro/Outro' Themes - Jamie Henwood
"What Are We Watching?" & "Whatcha Been Doin'?" Themes - Matthew Fosket
"Fun Facts" Theme - Chris Olds/Paul Root
Lead-Ins Edited/Conceptualized by - Ben McFadden
Produced by - Ben McFadden & Paul Root ("Shelf Help" - Paul Root)
Podcast/Program Concept - Paul Root

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:07

Hello everyone. Welcome to the review review. My name is Ben. To my left is Paul. Hi Paul. Hi, Paul. I knew you were gonna do that. Such a funny joke. Also to my left is Audrey Elliott. There you are Audrey.

SPEAKER_06 0:20

Hi!

SPEAKER_03 0:21

She's our guest on the review review today. Here we like to review, by that I mean rewatch a movie, talk about it, and review it again. Today the movie is Mystery Men, the 1999 movie.

SPEAKER_05 0:36

May may I really quickly? Sure. Jamie Henwood did that theme for us.

SPEAKER_03 0:40

Yes, thanks, Jamie. Thank you, Jamie. You are awesome. Thanks for the theme.

SPEAKER_07 0:44

That's really lovely news right now.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

Isn't it? It kind of gets you in the mood to chat.

SPEAKER_08 0:48

Yeah.

unknown 0:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:50

Audrey, tell us about yourself.

SPEAKER_08 0:52

Well, Ellie Native. I'm a costume designer, and I also work in costumes for various films and television, live events, all that greedy stuff. That's kind of all I know how to do. Yeah, I mean, I I really like it. I've been doing it since high school, really. Oh wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I went to six, seven years? Yeah. It's only six, seven years. Right now, I feel like I feel like a pronoun. It's been nice. 25, 26, 19. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 1:28

I feel like we've started this podcast like it's MPR or something. Like it's very soft-spoken. Right? Yeah. Gary Merbles.

SPEAKER_08 1:34

Oh yeah. Jazz plus jazz equals jazz.

SPEAKER_05 1:39

Paul, how are you? I'm doing well. I watched this movie and I'm still fine. Way better than I was the first time that I saw it when I was young. And part of that is I watched half of it, fell asleep, woke up, and Peacock was playing a movie called Sergeant Kabuki Man, NYPD. And in the first two minutes, somebody was doing cocaine off the roof of a car and a kid got killed. And I was like, I can't wait to watch the rest of Mystery Men. Because that'll put me on this movie. I don't know.

SPEAKER_08 2:16

I was gonna say, why aren't we doing that movie?

SPEAKER_05 2:19

How high were you though? Oh, when I fell asleep? Yeah. Or when I watched it?

SPEAKER_04 2:25

Both.

SPEAKER_03 2:26

Yes. Yes, the answer is yes. Yes, Mystery Men from 1999. Would you like to talk about your experience with this movie?

SPEAKER_08 2:34

Sure. Um, so I saw a movie in theaters uh when I was a kid, and I loved it. And I was so um wounded that I didn't know anybody that liked the movie um when it came out.

SPEAKER_05 2:49

And uh I and even I don't think you're gonna get a lot of healing. We'll see.

SPEAKER_08 2:53

No, and you know what? That's okay. That's why I picked it partially.

SPEAKER_05 2:58

I had a feeling.

SPEAKER_08 2:59

Um it it has kind of become one of those things too where it's like a weird bonding exercise every once in a while, too, when you meet somebody who's also like, oh man, I really like that movie too. I mean, like like any like person to always bond over, you know, your trauma. Like, how do you feel about Dutch movie? But um, like, right? So good. It was also, it was kind of funny. I was going back and forth as to whether or not that was the one I was gonna pick for this. I did, like, I told Paul, I think, or maybe I mentioned it to both of you, I kind of spiraled for a minute because I was like, oh, do I pick something that I know that they're probably gonna love that I totally hate and we can argue about it, or vice versa, or something that maybe I feel like they wouldn't have seen because it's super weird. I don't know. Um, but then it ended up being the first thing that I thought of and the thing I went back to, um, because I worked on a bunch of super suit stuff last year. Oh, cool. So I've kind of been in a little like superhero world, and I hadn't seen the movie for a minute. So I was like, you know, I think it's ready for a rewatch. I think uh it's time.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

So yeah. First experience with the 1999 classic, Mystery Man.

SPEAKER_05 4:15

This is one of three double features I've ever seen. This movie came out on August 6th, 1999.

SPEAKER_06 4:22

It's August 6th, 1999.

SPEAKER_05 4:24

My birthday.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

My birthday. We're always bringing I don't know if you've noticed in in your uh fandom for our podcast, but runs we uh are always going somewhere around our birthdays. It's weird. It's very weird.

SPEAKER_05 4:40

I saw the sixth sense. I guessed, if you haven't seen it yet, fuck you, this is not a spoiler. He's dead. So in the theater, I don't know, 15-20 minutes before the movie ends, like the little shit that I was like, oh, he's dead. And a few people around me heard me and like kind of scowled, and then the movie ends. And I was like, oh man, I'm gonna get my ass kicked in Tacoma where I was living. And we then went into this movie, and wow, what a tonal experience it was. Oh, that's to go from that's a shift. It was really interesting, and to be honest, as like a very cynical, shitty kid, just regardless. Now person, sure, on the note of that.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

Is this a good, bad movie or a bad, good movie? We'll get to that. Let's let's not let's not get ahead of ourselves. Wagging his finger at me like he's hair. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 5:41

It was almost Nixon-Y.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

Yeah. Oh, yeah, you're right. It's totally Nixony- It's not bad. It's just, you know, I'm thinking of like, that's not how the force works. You know, that's kind of what I'm trying to channel.

SPEAKER_06 5:53

Sure.

SPEAKER_03 5:53

And I didn't kill my wife.

SPEAKER_06 5:54

It's an idiot con, though. Oh yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 5:56

I did not like the movie at the time. And that's the only time I've seen it. This was my first experience with the movie since 1999 because it just left such a taste in my mouth for whatever reason.

SPEAKER_06 6:08

Because it wasn't the sixth sense, I guess.

SPEAKER_05 6:09

Yeah, the taste of a wet fart is basically what I left.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

Amazing. You got to the end of Mystery Man and you're like, oh, he's dead.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Now it makes sense. Great Kneer's dead.

SPEAKER_05 6:22

That might be the best part of the movie. Damn it. Yeah, Smashmouth and Michael Bay. Whoa. What a day for you, Ben. What's your experience?

SPEAKER_03 6:31

Yeah, I was trying to think of the first time I saw this movie. I can't remember the first time I saw it. I think it must have been in the theater, but I remember the last time I watched it because I was it was in college and my friend. Gudger College. What? Gudger College. Ball State. Ball State. Ball State University. Moving on. Um, I lost it. I lost it. So I was at my friend's apartment in college, and they must have owned it on DVD, and we watched it. I was really high. I did a lot of drugs in college. So I remember watching it at that point. That's the last time I viewed it, and then I actually remember liking that move this movie in the times I had seen it. I remember quoting this movie, uh, particularly like the Blue Raja stuff.

SPEAKER_05 7:16

Uh unsurprising.

SPEAKER_03 7:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 7:19

And I thought you were just gonna say the point, use two hands, son. Just that line all the time. I just um yeah. This movie does have some pretty good lines.

SPEAKER_03 7:30

The Blue Raja. But you had a good experience. I did. Remembered it fondly. I was, I wouldn't say concerned, but I was I was slightly worried about watching it again.

SPEAKER_05 7:40

Yeah, but uh, will you hand me the champagne that Audrey so graciously brought? As we're on to this, I think it's important to drink. Audrey I enjoy you, and I feel that I may upset you during this. I really don't want to.

SPEAKER_08 7:52

Why on earth do you think I picked it? I'm here to be upset, gentlemen. That hit me with it.

SPEAKER_05 7:58

I just want to say before we move into fact sheets or anything like that or anything else, you want to talk about Audrey. Everyone has really embraced the concept of this so fully. I would not have expected Mystery Men. I would not have expected Atlantis. Yeah, or Atlantis. I'm ready to shift my thinking. Especially when it's something that people really love. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:19

Which is what I'm gonna get you, I'm gonna get you to come to my side.

SPEAKER_05 8:22

Yeah. Well, no one I don't know Audrey's motivations whatsoever here. I must I assumed there for a moment, like it's like, oh, I must want to like this less because that's apparently my goal. That's crappy.

SPEAKER_03 8:35

You're a bad person. What a shit it is.

SPEAKER_08 8:38

What a terrible person. Obviously.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

Um do we want to give our current rankings before the uh fact sheet?

SPEAKER_08 8:45

And then So may I ask about that really quick? Do you want the ranking from when I first saw it or when I've just rewatched it?

SPEAKER_03 8:52

Both.

SPEAKER_08 8:52

Both? Okay. Sure. Alright. When I first saw it.

SPEAKER_05 8:56

Oh, I'm so sorry to interrupt. Do would you like to go first? Or how would you like it to be okay? You get to determine that you're the guest. You guys go first. Yeah, you pick. Please. Choose. Choose what destiny.

SPEAKER_08 9:07

Oh, yes. Gentlemen, go first.

SPEAKER_03 9:09

I'm gonna pick Ben. I'm gonna jump on it quick. Alright, I'm gonna look at my notes. Uh so from my memory of when I last saw it, and my thoughts my my ranking then probably would have been about three and a half stars. Again, I feel like I had to qualify qualifying this. Three and a half's a pretty good score for me. Reviewing last night, I gave it uh two and a half Steve Harwell's.

SPEAKER_05 9:36

A good doctor.

SPEAKER_03 9:37

Uh for those of you who don't know who Steve Harwell is, um, he's the lead singer of Smash Roth.

SPEAKER_05 9:43

For me, it was a skull and a half. Wow. In 1999. Now it is a pretty strong two skulls. They're covered in acrylic now and have unlimited power, of course.

SPEAKER_08 10:03

Nice little bowler reference. Very nice. When I first saw it, I would have said five out of five as a child. Because loved everything about it. Upon rewatching it, it will be a 3.5 psychofraculators.

SPEAKER_05 10:21

Yeah. I have to say there is something about a movie that for I guess just because Frankenstein has been in prison for 20 years, that everything in the world that revolved around him stopped, so disco is still I don't know, but just a movie that had so much to do with disco for no real reason that I could tell. Yeah. Great soundtrack though. Great soundtrack? Smashmouth almost neglects the existence of the Bee Gees, but not quite.

SPEAKER_08 10:53

I'm a bigger fan of the disco in this movie than the Smashmouth in this movie. I think the most egregious thing about this movie is the fact that All Stars plays twice. It's peak 1999. But I mean, like, was there a sale on that song? I mean, that's what I just don't understand.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

I actually did do a deep dive on how many movies have used the song All Star. Because uh the movie Rat Race ends with a concert by Smashmouth where they were singing All-Star. That was actually one of the movies I almost. Shrek famously. Oh wow. You almost picked Rat Race?

SPEAKER_05 11:25

I haven't seen that since I thought the theater Rat Race kind of like it. I used to own that movie.

SPEAKER_08 11:30

And it's only because I recently rewatched it with some friends, maybe about a year ago.

SPEAKER_04 11:35

Whoopee.

SPEAKER_08 11:36

I mean so good.

SPEAKER_03 11:39

If you know, you know. But Shrek also used it.

SPEAKER_07 11:42

Shrek, yes.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

But funny story about that was that it only it had used it as a temp track. Like listener, it's a temporary track that you edit to, and then they were like, actually, let's just use that. And then they just got the rights and used it.

SPEAKER_08 11:54

Well, of course they got the rights for it. So now here's a question.

SPEAKER_03 11:56

If you want to put it in your movie now, how much do you think it would cost?

SPEAKER_05 12:00

Oh, I don't know. I have no idea. Um it could be either. Yeah, I guess. It could be very expensive, it could be very cheap. Do we know if Universal owns the rights to that?

SPEAKER_08 12:11

That song?

SPEAKER_05 12:12

Yeah. Because Dreamworks Universal was Shrek, and then this was Do you remember when Smash was playing at Applebee's like five years ago? No, I couldn't remember if it was them or three doors down that played the Trump inauguration or both. It wasn't not them. It was not Smashmouth. It was three.

SPEAKER_03 12:28

Let's not confuse Smashmouth Three Doors Down.

SPEAKER_05 12:31

Don't fuck with Ben on Three Doors Down or Smashmouth or Michael Bay. Do not fuck with them. Snip of wine.

SPEAKER_08 12:41

Yeah, that that particular song, it's it was annoying then. I didn't like it. I think that was probably my least favorite part of the movie when it came out, and it still bothers me. It's such a terrible song.

SPEAKER_03 12:53

You know what's funny? I know we're just doing a Smash Mouth podcast now, but um that song, they said they wrote that because they felt uh like it they wrote it for people who felt like they were being bullied. Which gave me like, I was like, oh man, maybe I'm the asshole.

SPEAKER_05 13:09

I feel like if I was playing that as a kid out in the open, I would get bullied.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

Well no, that song makes me want to bully Smash Mouth. Also, uh when I had roommates who lived here, we have uh one of those Amazon devices that if you say their name, they'll come alive. Uh when I I was away for three months doing a show, and every now and then I would just randomly go to my Spotify, which was attached to it, and just start playing All-Star as loud as I could.

SPEAKER_05 13:41

Like there's something that this place is cursed. Yeah. Anyway.

SPEAKER_08 13:44

Yeah. Terrible, terrible song.

SPEAKER_05 13:46

Well, but is there anything else, Audrey, that you want to talk about? Anything you want to plug?

SPEAKER_07 13:52

Are you ready to let's go for it. Let's let's go for the gusto.

SPEAKER_05 13:56

Mystery Men. It was a universal film. I shouldn't say was. It is. It is a universal film. It is a universal film. It is rated PG 13. Don't be gross. For some reason. And it is two hours long. This movie was directed by Kinka Usher, who directed this and some Volvo commercials. It was written by Neil Cuthbert, no relation to Alicia Cuthbert that I know of. Do you know who was supposed to direct it originally? Oh, yeah. Right, DeVito. And he walked away from it. Right. He walked away and then Stiller was. He couldn't get a song?

SPEAKER_03 14:32

Or he didn't get songs control, something. But Stiller came in and he didn't like the script.

SPEAKER_08 14:37

But he still started it.

SPEAKER_03 14:39

Because Garofflo came uh Jeanine Garofalo came on and she convinced him to come back.

SPEAKER_05 14:43

Makes sense. Neil Cuthbert wrote Hocus Pocus, Pluto Nash, and this movie. This comic was a Bob Burden comic. It was part of Crazy Carrot, Wild Carrot, something that was part of Dark Horse.

SPEAKER_03 14:56

Burning Carrot, I think. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 14:58

The director of photography was Steven Burham. The Outsiders, speaking of DeVito, War of the Roses, fucking represent War of the Roses, and tons of De Palma movies. This was shot by the same person that has shot most of Brian DePalma's filmography. Which is very surprising to me. Yeah. Music was Steven Warbeck, who also worked on Shakespeare in Love. Billy Elliott. Audrey, any relation?

SPEAKER_08 15:24

Uh Distant Cousin.

SPEAKER_05 15:26

You're a great dancer. You got your dancing shoes on.

SPEAKER_08 15:28

I've got all of them. Oh yeah, I've got my gold Nikes on. I've got my gold cortezas.

SPEAKER_05 15:32

After my own heart. And uh proof. This movie was produced by Lawrence Gordon, who produced Predator, an episode that we have done a deep dive on on this podcast. I'm sure you've listened to it many times. Lloyd Levin, who produced This and Boogie Nights. And Mike Richardson, who produced Time Cop and The Mask, that you get stuck to your face and you can never get it off. Costumes were Marilyn Vance. The Rocketeer, The Untouchables, all those amazing Armani. Was it Armani? I think the whole wardrobe for Untouchables was Armani. For who?

SPEAKER_08 16:06

Potentially.

SPEAKER_05 16:07

I think oh everybody I think was wearing Armani in that movie. I don't think you need to. The Untouchables. Oh, okay. I thought you meant in this movie, I believe. Former star of Yellowstone, Kevin Costner.

SPEAKER_08 16:17

She did all the Brat Pack movies too. Right.

SPEAKER_05 16:20

Uh Die Hard 1 and 2, Roadhouse.

SPEAKER_06 16:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 16:24

Roadhouse. Predator. She uh had two Saturn Awards for this movie and The Rocketeer. This movie also won a uh Teen Choice Award for Best Hissy Fit. Way to go, Ben Stiller. Ben Stiller. Yeah. Ben Stiller also played Mr. Furious. Oh, yeah. He is from the Ben Stiller show. Did very well, I believe. Yeah. He was also in Meet the Parents Night at the Museum. Janine Garofalo, who played The Bowler, Wet Hot American Summer, put it on the mountaintop. Wasn't she on the Ben Stiller show? I believe so. Yeah. Everybody was. Bob Odenkirk was like so many people were. Yeah. Truth about cats and dogs in Seinfeld. She and Jerry uh did they get married or almost get married?

SPEAKER_03 17:10

Now, was she in the AI episode of Seinfeld that's been playing nonstop on Twitch and has become self-aware? Have you heard about this new artist? I've only seen the little tangent. Please there's an uh a Twitch stream that is an AI created episode of Seinfeld. So it's been in all of Seinfeld's been put into it. Sure. And it's doing an episode constantly. And it got to a point where they started saying, Why are we here? I don't want to be an AI. I don't want to be here anymore. Like things like that they were saying.

SPEAKER_08 17:40

That is terrifying.

SPEAKER_05 17:41

Are we moving toward Terminator as our apocalypse, Wally as our apocalypse, idiocracy as our what I just imagine is like some sort of amalgamation?

SPEAKER_03 17:52

I imagine Jerry in the puffy shirt coming towards you, and it's like doo doo do do do do.

SPEAKER_08 18:00

I will kill myself on the spot. Absolutely not. I am not here for that future. I like already started crying when I saw those stupid little garbage can robots going down the street delivering pizza.

SPEAKER_05 18:11

Oh man. I put them on my Instagram all the time. I feel the the height of the pandemic brought our society forward, backward, however you want to look at it. Like 10 or 12 years, like very fast.

SPEAKER_06 18:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 18:24

The cast. William H. Macy was the shoveler. You probably remember him from Fargo, Boogie Knights Shameless, and Somewhere in Time. And this movie. And this movie. Jeffrey Rush, Casanova, Frankenstein, Quills, Shine, Munich. Munich, anyone? Sure. Yeah. A little Munich, huh? Perfect.

SPEAKER_08 18:46

What a resume.

SPEAKER_03 18:46

Also, this was his first Hollywood feature.

SPEAKER_05 18:49

Yeah. This movie has several Academy Award nominees, if not winners. Yes. Not because of the movie. Cast wise?

SPEAKER_08 18:56

No, because of this movie. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 18:58

Okay, asshole. I gave it two stars. Hank Azaria played the Blue Raja. The Blue Raja. Heat, The Simpsons, almost every voice on The Simpsons. I was mildly obsessed with the man to whatever degree. I wanted to voice everything he was doing. And Brockmeyer, which was a solid TV show where he played kind of a low-life announcer for sometimes he sounds like Mo in this movie.

SPEAKER_04 19:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:26

Not in his British dialect, but when he's in his, it's like he sounds like Mo sometimes. Eat the fries, kid. Eat him.

SPEAKER_04 19:34

Am Square, Amskry. Please, kid, can you take the basket off my head? The oil's extremely hot.

SPEAKER_05 19:43

Okay. Hank is area. Way to go, bud. Paul Rubens was the spleen, Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Blow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the film, the Joss Whedon movie. I do like that movie. And he is funny as shit in that movie.

SPEAKER_03 19:55

He's funny in everything.

SPEAKER_05 19:57

Yeah, he is.

SPEAKER_08 19:57

He's talented. Luke Perry in that movie.

SPEAKER_05 19:59

Oh, R.I.P.

SPEAKER_08 20:00

I know.

SPEAKER_05 20:01

R.I.P. He is really good in that movie. Greg Kaneer. Speaking of people who are good in movies. Captain Amazing, You've Got Mail, as good as it gets. Talk Soup on E. The best version of that show, I think, was maybe the Kneer version. I am old. Kel Mitchell was Invisible Boy, Good Burger, Keenan and Kel, all that on Nickelodeon's game here. Oh, can I take your order? West Duty as The Sphinx, Dances with Wolves, Heat, Last of the Mohicans. We're going to leave the cast at that because we're going to inevitably go through so many people that are in this movie.

SPEAKER_03 20:38

Yeah. Who pulls? You can't skip Eddie Izzard in this moment.

SPEAKER_05 20:43

No, we're going to talk about Eddie Izzard a lot. From the Oceans franchise, as well as, as well as, as well as.

SPEAKER_08 20:50

Yeah, he's amazing.

SPEAKER_05 20:51

Great comedian. Great human being. So uh budget for this movie. Anybody want to take a stab?

SPEAKER_03 20:58

1999.

SPEAKER_05 21:01

A year after Blade, but a year before X-Men, but the same year as Wild Wild West. Which, okay.

SPEAKER_08 21:08

I feel like I remember seeing something. Wild Wild West.

SPEAKER_05 21:14

45 million. Okay. I feel like Audrey's wants to take a stab as well.

SPEAKER_08 21:20

I feel like I remember seeing something about it so I could be totally off base or correct. 68.

SPEAKER_05 21:26

Did you see it on my computer screen? No, I didn't. Okay, no. That is exactly correct.

SPEAKER_08 21:31

I guess, guys.

SPEAKER_05 21:33

You won.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

We don't have anything to give you, but you won.

unknown 21:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 21:36

You're gonna win us getting drunk by you buying us champagne.

SPEAKER_08 21:39

Amazing. Done.

SPEAKER_05 21:40

Oh, perfect. Uh adjusted. That's $122 million. It's a $122 million movie.

SPEAKER_07 21:45

That just hurts.

SPEAKER_05 21:46

Yeah, it does.

SPEAKER_07 21:47

Is it a winning weekend for this movie? I hope so.

SPEAKER_08 21:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 21:50

My birthday weekend.

SPEAKER_08 21:51

I mean, I hope the crew got some of it. Well, being really self-discussed.

SPEAKER_03 21:54

But I'm just thinking the big things about it.

SPEAKER_08 21:57

Yeah, I believe.

SPEAKER_05 21:58

Yeah, they're not in the effects. No.

SPEAKER_08 22:00

Production design, maybe? I think.

SPEAKER_05 22:02

No, they reused the sets from Batman Forever. Yes, I have so many notes about that.

SPEAKER_07 22:07

There's a lot of that. So that was actually something I was thinking about advanced.

SPEAKER_05 22:12

The movie opened to 10 million, adjusted, 18. North American gross was 29.8 adjusted. That's 53.5. And the gross worldwide was 33.4 adjusted, was 60. So it did not do quite half its budget, but luckily I think this movie was paid for in large part brought to you like this podcast by Pepsi. Because there are a lot of Pepsi references.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Yeah. So special thanks. We want to bring this episode is brought to you by again the letter P, but this time Pepsi. Pepsi.

SPEAKER_05 22:45

Yeah, our corporate overlords at Pepsi. Don't question.

SPEAKER_08 22:48

Wait.

SPEAKER_03 22:48

Pepsi.

SPEAKER_08 22:49

I'm not gifted any Pepsi. What where's my Pepsi?

SPEAKER_03 22:53

They haven't sent us the case yet. That water I gave you, that was Pepsi Clear.

SPEAKER_05 22:59

The word cross clear. Crystal Pepsi, baby. Crystal Pepsi. Bring it back. On average, Letterboxed, which you can find me, Paul Acts Badly on Letterboxed. I'm at Run BMC.

SPEAKER_03 23:11

What is Letterboxd?

SPEAKER_05 23:13

Great. It is an app where you can log the movies that you have seen, you can rate them, you can critique them. You can also log the movies that you would like to watch. Set alerts, you can figure out what apps they're streaming on. There's a bit of an extra cost for that. I think it's well worth it. You can also create lists where you can actually see a list about this show.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

It's a fun way to sort of connect with other people who like movies without being like on social media if you can. Well really super fun.

SPEAKER_08 23:42

That's kind of nice to be able to track it as well. I find that I don't know if you guys find this, but every once in a while you'll be like, oh, I haven't seen this movie, and then you put it on about five minutes into it, you realize you've absolutely seen it. Yes. And you're just dumb.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

I watched this movie last week.

SPEAKER_05 23:58

What the shit? Also, you can find us on Instagram Review X2 Podcast. You can email us review reviewpod at Gmail. If it's not right, you're not gonna email us anyway. Let's be honest. Roger Ebert did give this movie a thumbs up.

SPEAKER_08 24:16

Uh huh.

SPEAKER_05 24:17

Gene Siskel was uh not around to rate it. So we're just gonna go with uh Raj on this one.

SPEAKER_03 24:23

Thumbs up. Did he is that when Ebert brought in um what's the other dude's name that he brought on? Roper, Richard Roper. Yeah. Pre-Roper. Pre-roper business. This was in Siskel. Yeah, it was the in-between. That is how I rate time. Yeah. Yeah. It confuses people.

SPEAKER_07 24:42

Real window.

SPEAKER_03 24:42

Yeah. PS and PR.

SPEAKER_05 24:45

You know. You say the thumbs up or refer to it sometimes with some people now, and they're like, what the fuck are you talking about? Right. And that's a tomato meter or the Metacritic or us, obviously.

SPEAKER_08 24:56

Well, I would assume it's you guys. Yeah. Come on.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

I mean tomato meter is a pretty good gauge because it's just such a wide spectrum of critics.

SPEAKER_05 25:06

I do like Metacritic as well. The audience score on Rotten Tomatoes can really take you on a ride.

SPEAKER_03 25:14

Really can really a fun one. Sometimes not so much. It's usually trolls. Trolls. It is. It's Morbin time. I'll tell you right now. They're trolling you, or they're Morbin time. Or they're like, like, oh, this is too diverse and they're trolls. Or they're like, oh, Snyder Verse, and they're trolls. So.

SPEAKER_05 25:35

Release weekend, again. It's Morbin time. August 6th, my birthday. The greatest Morbius, me. The Sixth Sense, The Iron Giant, Dick with Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams. I love that movie, too. I'm not a crook. I like that movie. I am not a crook.

SPEAKER_07 25:51

It's like the same, right? It's so good.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

I didn't kill my wife. I'm not a crook. I didn't come on my wife. I don't come on.

SPEAKER_05 25:57

The Jables really got going. And the remake of Thomas Crown Affair directed by McTiernan that we've talked about on this episode or on this show. The top five films of '99. Anybody want to take a guess at any of the top films? Matrix. Uh that is there. Yes, number five. Audrey do you want to take a stab at just one?

SPEAKER_08 26:18

I mean, we talked about Six Sense, so it's got it. Yeah. Nailed it.

SPEAKER_05 26:22

Number one. Uh it was number two. Star Wars Phantom Menace, number one, Six Sense Two, Austin Powers two. Oh yes, I suppose. It was three. Toy Story Two was four. Matrix was five. Uh, some movies of note, World Is Not Enough, The Mummy, The Blair Witch Project, American Pie, Patch Adams, Wild Wow. It's a wild wow west.

SPEAKER_03 26:43

Jim West, Desperado, Ruby Potta, no.

SPEAKER_08 26:45

Oh my gosh, I'm so impressed right now. Also, though, speaking of movies that have one of their stars rapping a song about the movie. Cal Mitchell does that song. Oh, at the end? The really all the nose one? Yeah. The Mystery Man rap song? Yes. Yeah, absolutely. That's uh Cal Mitchell.

SPEAKER_03 27:06

I did not know that. Was this Kel's first movie? Like big role in a movie?

SPEAKER_08 27:12

I feel like it must be.

SPEAKER_05 27:14

Maybe Goodberger before this, but I'm not sure if if anything else.

SPEAKER_03 27:18

But this is like Peak. Is this Peak or is this post Keenan Kell? This is post.

SPEAKER_08 27:24

I would say it's like I hate to call it this probably his first like adult role in the movie.

SPEAKER_06 27:30

He is nude.

SPEAKER_08 27:30

Yeah. Yeah. Two hands.

SPEAKER_04 27:35

Did you rate it two hands? We should have done that. That's so good.

SPEAKER_05 27:42

Some fun facts. We went over one. Garofalo convinced Stiller to come back after she was convinced to sign on because William H. Macy and Jeffrey Rush had signed on. And Hank Azaria claimed that Kink Usher, the director, would constantly complain on the set and openly mention that they could not wait to return to work in commercials. Just hated every moment of it.

SPEAKER_08 28:04

Actually, I don't know if you guys remember this particular commercial, but he was the guy who directed the um Taco Bell Fiva Gordita.

SPEAKER_04 28:13

Yokiro pork and Yokiro Taboco Bell Yokiro Bell. Okay?

SPEAKER_05 28:17

I do know it.

SPEAKER_03 28:19

And I got I got milk campaign with him. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 28:22

I mean I bought in as you can see on my upper lip. I bought in the case.

SPEAKER_03 28:27

Yeah, I mean, strong commercial, like especially for that time, those are standouts.

SPEAKER_06 28:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:31

Yeah. But it's surprising to me that you go from Danny DeVito to Ben Stiller to a guy who's only done commercials, and then he goes on to do nothing else except for commercials.

SPEAKER_05 28:44

A bunch of recent people who have had some sort of buzz or some sort of power influx in that moment in time as well. William H. Macy was on quite a high at that time. Ben Stiller was kind of on his big kind of come up at that time, about to have the big Meet the Parents huge breakthrough. Yeah. And Janine Garofalo, kind of at maybe the height of her power, I'm not sure. Not the height, but on her way up, though. But just a lot of people involved that, especially cast-wise. That was part of the reason for my rating was I just expected.

SPEAKER_03 29:23

And every actor does turn in a pretty solid performance. There's a lot writing against this movie in 2023. Oh, that's a good one. I'm gonna let you dive very deep into that, y'all. That is sort of why I was worried about re-watching it. A, obviously, we all know the market is flooded with superhero content. Like that 1999, I feel like was sort of the beginning. I mean, Blade came out a year before this, right?

SPEAKER_05 29:50

Yeah. Uh not to step on you, this was part of a huge buying frenzy in 1997 of 30.

SPEAKER_03 29:58

Yeah, and looking into That because I read comics, but looking into the one that it's supposedly based on. Thank you. We're nerds here. Yeah. I just we've reached the point now we're we're oversaturated with the with that genre. Absolutely. And that it's it's come to the point that we've hit content that is already making better commentary on the genre, you know, meta or otherwise. I think of the boys as a as a sort of something that I'm comparing it to.

SPEAKER_08 30:32

That's actually what I was working on last year. Oh really?

SPEAKER_03 30:34

Oh, cool. That's amazing. Yeah, so that's what I was thinking of, and then going back to this and being like, okay, I see what they're trying to say.

SPEAKER_08 30:41

There's some things that are ahead of their time, but they just don't hit as and and that's like such a huge part of it is I think that it does. Like there was a lot of things that at the time I don't think worked, and I think had the same script maybe come out now, maybe, or maybe just before the boys or something, because I saw like there were some parallels there. You know, this idea that superheroes are not just real, but they're also dicks. Like, you know, uh Greg Nier's characters. Yeah, Captain Amazing, I felt that too. Living billboards for the highest bidder. Yeah, absolutely. You know, Pepsi, his Pepsi sponsorship screwed him. Yeah. Um, making sure you'll get that case, I'm sure. They seem very honorable.

SPEAKER_03 31:26

They said they're gonna do that. They got me that hairier jet, so oh, helpful. And they said they were gonna do our Super Bowl commercial for us. Yeah, we're all set.

SPEAKER_08 31:33

Perfect. I mean, timely. If it's not filmed yet.

SPEAKER_05 31:39

They're coming tomorrow. They're coming right now!

SPEAKER_08 31:42

It's definitely in the works. Yeah. Um especially speaking to you saying like what the time frame is right now and what's available to us and all of that. Superhero movies now can lean really dark, and that's just because we're we are in the world. Like it's it's just darker. We don't do a lot of like silly, we don't do a lot of wholesome, we don't lean that way, and I really like a lot of dark superhero stuff, I think. You know, but the the gritty makes it kind of more interesting. You don't feel like you're watching a sort of like, you know, Batman the TV show with Adam West kind of version of something where it's all panel and yeah, exactly. But at the same time, there's something about that that I do still love because it's sweet and fun, and it is like watching an actual comic book come to life in front of you, sure, which that aspect of it can be kind of exciting.

SPEAKER_05 32:34

So on the note of the Adam West Batman and exciting and like uh Captain Amazing has that jetpack. Yeah, that sound effect is reused from the 66 Adam West Batman. It's the it's the sound effect of the Batman people, which I think is amazing, actually. I think that's really cool. This movie also uh at a point featured Luis Guzman. The scenes were entirely deleted. He played a restaurant owner.

SPEAKER_08 33:02

I mean, he's the one person they call this movie. There's like seven hundred of them. That's so sad.

SPEAKER_05 33:08

There is a calendar in the junk shop that Mr. Furious works at that says it's June 31st. June has 30 days. So this does take place in a parallel universe where vigilantism is a normal part of everyday life. It's very much the Joel Schumacher Gotham. It's Joel Schumacher and Kevin Smith got together tonally and made a movie.

SPEAKER_08 33:27

Yeah. Yes. Uh give me some Jane Silent Bob vibes there on some of the last dick and fart jokes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:39

I feel like some of the humor is is even more childish in this.

SPEAKER_05 33:44

It's all so much of it is just through the spleen. So much of it. Or it attempts to be. Like the really obvious humor that's not like kind of a nudge nudge to someone that like gets kind of subversive humor, because it does have a good amount of that at times.

SPEAKER_08 34:01

Yeah, I mean, there's there's great like little little bits in there, like I don't know if upon your rewatch when he's like listing off all of the superhero names and things like that. Like it's hilarious where he has you know, Lucky Pierre and the French tickler, and like white flight and black menace. They work together.

SPEAKER_03 34:19

I always liked the joke, um, but why do I have watermelons on my feet? I don't remember telling me to do that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 34:26

I was so I was like, am I gonna get any clarification on that point? And I didn't, and that's why I rated this a two. Damn you, movies.

SPEAKER_07 34:34

The end of that.

SPEAKER_05 34:35

Um Artie Lang, uh famously of uh Mad TV, said this was the worst movie he had ever appeared in. And he had also, I mean, he was in Euro Trip. He was on Memory Trip, he was in Beer League, but also he was in Elf, like old school dirty. He's been in some good movies. And side note, this movie does not appear in the worst 44 movies of 1999. Not on that list. Topped by baby geniuses.

SPEAKER_09 34:59

Ooh.

SPEAKER_03 35:00

A movie I did see. Did you really? No, yes. I saw that movie in the theater with my brother?

SPEAKER_05 35:08

Yeah, I dragged my brother up.

SPEAKER_03 35:10

No, I didn't want to go alone. That's terrible. Or maybe, maybe there was a point where when my mom would take us, and my brother, who will be on this podcast at some point, will know this. She would take us to the movies, and her and my brother would want to see something more adult. My brother's four years older than me. And I would go to see a movie with my younger siblings at the same time. So maybe this is one of those cases where I no, no, my brother was definitely in that movie. We saw baby geniuses because we live in. We're big, we're big geniuses. That's what we're doing.

SPEAKER_08 35:44

Well, you're just like, this movie is about us. We are these baby geniuses. Yeah, that's geniuses.

SPEAKER_03 35:50

And you know, we move on to be uh inner you go on the internet and we tell everybody they're wrong. And because we were baby geniuses. People like that. People love being a lot of people.

SPEAKER_05 36:00

Right, yeah. That's what we've done so well as an actor, because I always tell everyone that's that's wrong. Directors love it. Directors.

SPEAKER_03 36:08

Challenge me, please. Yes. They're like, hey Paul, could you just walk uh a little bit further to the right, like an inch? That's wrong.

SPEAKER_08 36:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 36:16

No.

SPEAKER_08 36:16

Costumes like that too.

SPEAKER_03 36:17

Move the lights. There are no lights, we just need you to be there.

SPEAKER_08 36:21

No.

unknown 36:21

No.

SPEAKER_05 36:22

I'm always present, almost too present. There is an urban legend. Uh Tim Burton directed this movie.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

What?

SPEAKER_05 36:29

I don't believe that either. I think it's total bullshit.

SPEAKER_00 36:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:32

Because there's so much money that had already been attached to that name that a studio would not have let that happen. No way.

SPEAKER_08 36:39

It has none of his like markings or trappings or anything like that. Like if you had said Joel Schumacher had secretly directed that, I would have been like, oh, totally.

SPEAKER_05 36:50

I've got some sets from Batman Forever. It'll be fine. I know. They're in my garage.

SPEAKER_03 36:55

Kaylee, he saw Batman Forever and was like, oh, I can do that. Yes.

SPEAKER_08 36:58

That aesthetic of something, I will say. So Batman is my favorite superhero. I will tell you there. It's cool you like insane people. I love insane people. Um I am an insane person, so I'm not sure. Me too. It's a bunch of insane nerds. Uh welcome and scene. Yes. Uh especially in the Batman world. It's one of those things too where I I will watch just about anything that is Batman related and we'll probably find an excuse to love it. Batman and Robin is absolute garbage, and I love it.

SPEAKER_03 37:29

It's so campy.

SPEAKER_08 37:30

It's terrible.

SPEAKER_03 37:31

But it's purposefully campy.

SPEAKER_08 37:32

It is purposely campy. And I think that like the costume designs in it and all of that stuff are really great, and it's so it's stupid. One of those things that like it's fun, and if you're drinking and you throw it on with somebody, then it's great. Um, but it's not a good movie, and I will never argue that. Batman Forever, when that came out, I was like, I feel like that movie came out like peak, like me being like, Oh my god, this is so cool. Like Jim Carrey's so rad. Like, none of that movie makes sense. Like the Riddler's lair is insane.

SPEAKER_09 38:08

Like Ridder layer is insane, but like loving that vibe. Riddler one just suddenly exists.

SPEAKER_08 38:15

Yeah, I mean, like, yeah, exactly. Like two babes with two dinners, like what a great like Debbie Maser. Like so fucking cool. It's almost like if Am I allowed to curse? I didn't realize. Please smell as much as you'd like. There's no cursing in this movie, by the way, in Mystery Men, if you didn't notice.

SPEAKER_05 38:31

Well they say butt so much rather than even just saying ass. Like, and it's so Maybe that's why I kept thinking this was like a spy kids for adults.

SPEAKER_07 38:39

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 38:40

I kept thinking then. I mean, those effects are better.

SPEAKER_08 38:43

Upon re-watching it, um, I realized there's there's no cursing in it. And it was one of those things I was like, Holy Rusted Metal Bad man.

SPEAKER_03 38:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 38:52

Just it's holy.

SPEAKER_03 38:53

Ronald Joel Schumacher's uh fan of the opera.

SPEAKER_05 38:57

Didn't know I didn't see that. Is that the one with no Robert, that's not the one with Robert England in it. That's with Gerard Butler. Gerard Butler. I've not seen it every year.

SPEAKER_08 39:04

Emmy Rossam, right?

SPEAKER_03 39:05

Emmy Rossam, that's began the love that I have for Emmy Rossam. Okay. It was one of those things where I was like, he's reusing the big giant statues. I will have to say this. It took me so long to realize that, and I'm saying this as a straight right white dude, that Joel Schumacher was gay. And like when somebody actually had a one-on-one conversation with a friend of mine who's gay, and was like, the camp that he brings to those movies is very much purposeful and it's very much representative of like gay community. And he like went through about talking about it with specifically about Batman and Robert. And it was a moment of for me being like, wow, I'm really fucking ignorant. I didn't I didn't know any of that.

SPEAKER_08 39:44

Well, and like when you look at all that stuff, it's it's fabulous. Yeah it's there's like a really like in every single like look in that could be a Halloween costume, could be a drag costume. I mean, it it is, but it's also you know, it's it's silly, and there's nipples.

SPEAKER_05 40:01

Comic books are silly. Yeah, absolutely. Like I love them, but they're silly, they're modern day fables, and as ridiculous as the performance and the lines are and shit, the Mr. Freeze costume in Batman and Robin is fucking awesome. It is so cool, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_08 40:17

Those have slippers and like that smoking like jacket. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 40:24

I mean it's well, it's just such a feast for the eyes. Yeah, and outside of that, going way back in his career, it's like I haven't seen Veronica Guerin and some of the things that he did later on, obviously. But I am like a lost boys stan. That movie's fucking awesome. Smoking down is fucking awesome. I I like Michael Douglas as an actor. I think he's great. As a product I mean, he produced one for this or Michael Keaton. Same guy. Same guy. Um Michael.

SPEAKER_01 40:51

I don't like that at all.

SPEAKER_05 40:52

What was Michael Keaton's or Michael Keaton's original last name was Michael Douglas. His name is Michael Douglas. Yeah. But he goes by Michael Keaton because Michael Douglas was already established. Seg name, right?

SPEAKER_06 41:03

Oh, I didn't realize that.

SPEAKER_05 41:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:05

I went to first I got his last name was Michael Douglas, so his name would have been Michael Michael Douglas. Michael, Michael Douglas, Douglas. The review, review, debate, debate.

SPEAKER_05 41:15

I almost got through it. Oh sorry.

SPEAKER_08 41:17

It's like James Servants and Mom. Did you guys ever watch World by Death?

SPEAKER_05 41:21

No, I've never. I haven't.

SPEAKER_08 41:24

That there's a bit about his name. I'm not gonna do it. It's just I'm gonna make it fall apart, especially. I was just gonna say I'll edit it out to hear it. Come on. Um, I was just gonna say it's Alec Guinness doing like a bit with uh David Niven and Maggie Smith, and it's just I need to see this. It's so good. That's actually one of my go-to movies that if I'm just like throwing something on to just rewatch, it's definitely one of those movies.

SPEAKER_05 41:50

Do you remember who directed?

SPEAKER_08 41:52

I don't remember who directed that.

SPEAKER_05 41:53

Not in order, I'm just perfect.

SPEAKER_03 41:57

R.A.P. by the way. Yeah, R.A.P.

SPEAKER_05 41:59

big time.

SPEAKER_06 41:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:00

Um before we start at the top and walk our way through the movie, take a little break. Let's do it. Let's pound this champagne.

SPEAKER_08 42:08

Yeah. Get some Pepsi from here.

SPEAKER_03 42:10

Here's an ad from our good friend. A diet Pepsi unter little bit of ice. Crystal Pepsi. Alright, thank you, Pepsi. For that great commercial ad. And uh Harrier Jet.

SPEAKER_05 42:21

Oh, wait, hold on. Fully armed, fully fueled, locked cocked, and ready to rock.

SPEAKER_08 42:28

So refreshing.

SPEAKER_03 42:29

The show brought to you by Pepsi.

SPEAKER_08 42:31

Getting it shut down, y'all.

SPEAKER_05 42:33

Working on it. They're very litigious. It should be fun.

SPEAKER_03 42:36

Top of this movie, we have a scene directly ripped out of Batman, feels like.

SPEAKER_05 42:43

I mean, we we come immediately into the scene of Artie Lang and the red-eyed bad guys getting after a gathering of seniors at like a senior party set. Yeah. An old folks home in a skyscraper?

SPEAKER_08 42:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 42:58

And also Was it just the ballroom?

SPEAKER_03 43:00

Tom Waits was there?

SPEAKER_08 43:01

Tom Waits was there. Just for the ladies.

SPEAKER_03 43:04

Yeah. And also everyone's dressed like they're at a neon Easter party. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 43:10

It's super psychic.

SPEAKER_05 43:12

Truly. I really do. I don't mean this as a knock toward anyone, but it is like Schumacher meets Smith. It's like it's a perfect blend of the two.

SPEAKER_01 43:21

Even just the line, I want money, I want chains, I want gold, I want wigs, I want toupees. It does have some. Don't take that the guy's arm. A veteran! Yeah, pull his arm off.

SPEAKER_08 43:34

So messed up. Like that's the other thing, too, is I was just like, oh come on, man, he's a veteran.

SPEAKER_03 43:38

That arm gets a lot of attention. It does.

SPEAKER_08 43:41

They spent a lot of money on that arm.

SPEAKER_03 43:43

Yeah, but like you, they had a whole unit. They didn't have insurance for that thing. We didn't pay out of pocket.

SPEAKER_08 43:47

Yeah, just to get those arms. Absolutely. Yeah. Whole second unit. The arm unit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 43:53

But I I decide in that moment when I get that, I want wigs, I want two pays, and the whole thing. I very quickly go, okay, I'm gonna Ghostbusters this. Sure, sure. Where the as we like to do comps on here, Ghostbusters is kind of the highest level of regtake group of people decide to get together to go against some X, Y, or Z, partially with fortune and fame in mind. Sure, totally. And have tryouts and interviews and so on and so forth. So I kind of try to get in that frame of mind. This is gonna be I mean basketball, but sure, ghost plus basketball.

SPEAKER_01 44:30

Why do you say basketball exactly?

SPEAKER_03 44:32

Oh my gosh. I'm just kidding. Because it's the same thing of like ragtag.

SPEAKER_05 44:37

I get it now.

SPEAKER_08 44:38

I have not seen basketball in so long.

SPEAKER_05 44:40

Oh boy. I haven't either. It's coming. Watch. Watch out.

SPEAKER_03 44:44

I just think of the moment where they say they're talking about the recreation of the guy who hung himself in the fucking closet. Yeah. And they're like, they show they show a guy that's just standing on a stool smoking a cigarette with a noose around his head.

SPEAKER_08 44:56

I feel like I saw that in the theater too.

SPEAKER_03 44:58

I don't think I was awesome to see it.

SPEAKER_08 45:00

I'm elderly.

SPEAKER_03 45:01

Orgasmo came out like a year before this or two years before this. Orgasmo was my jam. What makes iron?

SPEAKER_01 45:06

It's a power!

SPEAKER_03 45:08

Wait, did I say it's funny that this guy wrote Pluto, Nash, because it feels like very similar.

SPEAKER_05 45:17

It does. It's it's not horribly structured in terms of act structure and certain little just like I'm not in this movie. Walking in. The opening is kind of chaotic, but we understand who the characters are, who the people are that are important to them and the relationships. They all kind of develop. So our main three meet them here. Four people, but we meet our main three guys Mr. Furious, the Shoveler, and the Blue Raja. And the Blue Raja who throws a spoon like a dickhead. I know. What a dingus. Can't throw a knife.

SPEAKER_04 45:51

A jerk. Throws a fork in the back. Just a stabby, man. Right into his butt.

SPEAKER_08 45:55

Right?

SPEAKER_04 45:56

So good.

SPEAKER_08 45:57

Right in the settler's butt and what a what a face for William H. Macy. So an amazing actor. A guy.

SPEAKER_05 46:07

Show me. Fork in the tape a couple times in this movie.

SPEAKER_08 46:10

We're going straight on your face. Yeah. Just give us a fork. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:16

And we also get Captain Amazing.

SPEAKER_05 46:17

Captain Amazing comes in just covered in ads. Uh-huh. And a suit that doesn't look homemade in any way, shape, or form. Doesn't look comfortable at all.

SPEAKER_08 46:26

But also, too, like that's a suit. It does look very toasty. It's like, now I'm just like costume nerding. Yeah. It I think was made out of neoprene, if I'm not mistaken. And I think that's like the first time a superhero got a suit that wasn't just straight up fucking rubber or something. And maybe I'm wrong. I mean, like, think of Blade as a superhero, obviously. That's like less trench coat, like vest, yeah. I mean, less is like sweat a babe. Blade's great. Like it's such a good movie. Those effects are rough now, but some are, yeah. That's the thing. Especially the ending effect where it's like leg, like the calf doesn't quite get there. It just stays standard. I think that that's and I could be wrong, but I do think that's the first time you you start seeing like superheroes and things that are a little more movable or something. Or like because you're still trying to catch up to every year new fabrics, new things are invented or are available to you to do stuff, and you get more event inventive every you know, year of something and try new techniques. But first of all, it's like you look at Batman or anybody that's just like having a turn on their head, or just like any articulation, you know, being in suits that just hinder anybody's we were talking about after performance and just being able to feel like freedom to sort of move and do things, and you can see like you know, he rips off his like Pepsi patch and like throws it, and he's got like this full range of motion.

SPEAKER_03 48:00

Yeah, opposite armor.

SPEAKER_08 48:02

Yeah, which is so great because it means like you're watching him actually, you know, give a performance that is natural and kind of funny. I mean, I think he's so funny. And I think he's spot on shit.

SPEAKER_05 48:14

He's spot on perfect in this movie. He's exactly what he's supposed to be.

SPEAKER_03 48:17

Yeah, so for uh what year was the um uh uh Something's Gotta Give?

SPEAKER_05 48:23

Oh, several years later, 2003 or 4 at least.

SPEAKER_06 48:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:28

I'm just trying to think of when I first started taking notice of Greg Kaneer.

SPEAKER_05 48:32

I think for me, it was probably talk soup. I would have insomnia when I was a kid and watch that late at night when I was just staying with my mom or after I lived with my mom. I would watch that on the e channel. It was and I he was so like dry and funny. And then seeing him, he's turned in so many great performances. I love the turn he has in You've Got Mail, where he's like, Yeah, we just don't love each other. Let's just go our separate ways. Okay, totally fine. See you later. It's a decent romantic comedy. I I think it's a fun movie, but also he him in The Gift and in As Good As It Gets and Little Miss Sunshine, yeah. Little Miss Sunshine, really, really solid actor, and in this movie, doing really solid comedic work is the heel. Like, as the villain of this movie, he puts everything in motion.

SPEAKER_08 49:18

He's he's such a terrible person, and you're you're sitting there going, Aren't we supposed to be rooting for you? Aren't you saving the city? And then just for that world to be like, oh no, he's he's more interested in his sponsorships and what he can get out of this, as opposed to you know, caring at all about what's happening to like the citizens around him. Like, you know, he just saved all these old people from getting robbed, and he just doesn't give a shit. He's just like, This is the lamest fight I've been in, and you're just like, dude, you like saved these old people. Like basically pushes a child out of his way who basically gets into a limo after finding out he's gonna you know, shoves his person in a wheelchair, like after getting the photo up with them, just like right out of my own.

SPEAKER_03 49:59

As we're as we're talking about this, we yeah, he saves those people, his manager's there suddenly.

SPEAKER_05 50:04

His publicist who says, I'm your publicist, not a magician, who's played by a real life magician named Ricky J. Right. Which is kind of a funny little stupid in joke that is obviously intentional. Yeah. Like they are trying, everybody's trying in this movie.

SPEAKER_03 50:18

And then we immediately get so they he saves a day, they laugh, they make a joke like about them being superheroes, and we understand that like, oh, this is a world where multiple this this universe, multiple superheroes exist in a way where people are always like trying to be superheroes.

SPEAKER_05 50:36

Vigilantism is a daily norm here at C.

SPEAKER_03 50:40

And then they are at that cafe, right? Is that the next scene?

SPEAKER_05 50:43

Yeah, they they get in the there's the the exchange with the cop and Mr. Furious. And he's like, You don't want to find out. Checkerhead! The cop advances on him and he says, You know, what are you gonna do? I'll go pump A on your butt. And it's another one of those no swearing.

SPEAKER_08 51:05

No dance. No dance.

SPEAKER_03 51:07

You know that uh he was originally offered the the blue rajah, still or was. Really? Yeah, uh, but he didn't want to play another nerdy character or another like which is funny to me because I feel like this is sort of the beginning where when did he do uh heavyweights? What year was heavyweights? 95 because like that character starts to infiltrate a lot of what he does. Fucking great movie character. But like he brings like that character. That like macho yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:43

As somebody with the Hal, the nursing home attendant mustache, so I can speak as an authority here. He turns in a really solid performance in this movie overall, especially when he's doing these little freak outs he's supposed to have and looking at the camera and seeming very big and trying to he's supposed to lead. He's the comp to Wolverine.

SPEAKER_08 52:03

Yeah, I think so.

SPEAKER_05 52:04

He's the lead.

SPEAKER_08 52:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 52:06

He beats the bad guy and he gets the girl. And speaking of Kevin Smith, she's in Mall Rats. Yeah. She is in Maulrats.

SPEAKER_08 52:13

Clear for Lonnie. Where where are you at, girl? She's so pretty. She's so pretty.

SPEAKER_05 52:16

She's very pretty.

SPEAKER_08 52:17

Beautiful.

SPEAKER_05 52:18

Yeah. The eyes. Yeah, yeah. This movie has a lot of close-ups.

SPEAKER_03 52:23

Oh, too many. So many close-ups. I think like Schumacher, right? Because it's in those moments where we're getting like it's like a high tension moment, and it's like close up with this person, close up to that person, close up with a villain, close up with this person.

SPEAKER_08 52:33

Do you also feel like that's from somebody who does commercials?

SPEAKER_01 52:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 52:37

It I think a lot of and here's the thing, I'm not knocking it. Like, I work on commercials, like, shouts out, everybody nearly. So very difficult meeting. It's super hard because you're trying to um get a lot of information in such a short period of time. Yes. But that's what a lot of people are. It's the ultimate short form storytelling. Yeah, you're like, this whole piece of life is in this five-second commercial. Two seconds, buy this. Now love them and buy it. And it's just like over. It's not easy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:08

But I agree, there are a lot of close.

SPEAKER_05 53:10

This was a long commercial though for Pepsi and a few other things. Two-hour-long commercial.

SPEAKER_03 53:16

Smash mouth. Smash mouth.

SPEAKER_05 53:18

Tom Waits.

SPEAKER_03 53:19

Tom Waits and Corvettes. So, okay, let's just keep walking through this, right? So they're at the cafe, we introduce Claire Filani's character. And then we see their each individual sort of home life after that.

SPEAKER_08 53:31

Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:31

See that Greg Kinnear's character talks about releasing Casno. Like in the Limo Red.

SPEAKER_08 53:40

Like Limo Red, he doesn't really talk about releasing him. No, it just gets inspired about the guy. Yeah, he's just sort of like when he starts listing off all of his nemesis nemeses. Nemesis? Nemesis.

SPEAKER_05 53:53

Nemesis. Really quick, the diner thing. I love the William H. Macy performance of the like, what is the name of the billionaire? Lance Hunt. Oh my gosh, so good. Lance Hunt has glasses. Captain Amazing doesn't have glasses.

SPEAKER_01 54:10

He wouldn't be able to see.

SPEAKER_05 54:11

He takes them off when he transforms. He wouldn't be able to see the clouds. You wouldn't be able to see. The performance by William H. Macy in particular in this movie is like so good. The scenes with he and Jennifer Lewis are I love.

SPEAKER_08 54:24

I I don't think anybody else could have delivered that the way it's just because he's so good. That bit is so funny to me. It's just like he doesn't wear glasses.

SPEAKER_05 54:35

He has two specific moments in this movie where I'm like, fuck, this is a really fucking good actor.

SPEAKER_07 54:41

Yeah. He's damn it.

SPEAKER_03 54:42

I also love that before they kill Greg. He has those two washers that he's got.

SPEAKER_07 54:45

Yeah, he's like holding up.

SPEAKER_04 54:47

Yeah. Put the glasses over him. And he's like, Lance Hunt.

SPEAKER_07 54:52

I've always wanted to say that.

SPEAKER_05 54:54

Just kidding. And then Shuffler's like, oh god, okay.

SPEAKER_08 54:57

No, but you see his face. Like he all of a sudden he's like, oh my gosh, you are him. There's a shred of doubt. You watch him sort of like, because it's William H. Macy, you're watching him sort of like crumble and go through this like world-shattering moment of like, you are Lance Hunt. Like, why is it?

SPEAKER_05 55:13

All I need to be a famous, powerful, beloved superhero is to have massive amounts of money. Yeah. That's all you need in sponsorship.

SPEAKER_03 55:22

It is one of those, and but it's it's one of those character uh attributes that's really like, you know, for that, we see his like home life, we see that he has like a family.

SPEAKER_05 55:31

He doesn't have 150 bucks for a publicist. No, right. Yeah. He doesn't have a billionaire.

SPEAKER_03 55:36

It's the same with Hank Azaria with the Blue Raja, right? Like we see him in his like extravagant home with the His mother's extravagant home? Yeah. But it's his room that he's like decorated. Decked down and that that when she shows up, the accent goes away. Yes. And that like that immediate of like so embarrassed. This is a guy who's just like really Bridge Cabo. Yeah. To be to like really trying hard. And that's another, I think, very um it's Hank Azaria. Like the what he brings to it is I'm I love the Birdcage, and I think Hankazaria is a such a fucking great movie.

SPEAKER_08 56:11

So good.

SPEAKER_03 56:12

Hank Isaria is so fucking good movie.

SPEAKER_08 56:14

His Ratham, his natural heat.

SPEAKER_05 56:16

For me, despite everybody else who's also great, it's just a great movie. Mike Nichols shouts. Gene Hackman and Diane Weiss in that movie are incredible.

SPEAKER_03 56:27

Because China has some young men playing sleepfrog? Sleepfrog. I believe. Jesus Lord. Such a good movie.

SPEAKER_08 56:35

So good.

SPEAKER_03 56:36

Imagine having China of two dudes fucking. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 56:39

That's your normal China. Yeah, absolutely. For the guests.

SPEAKER_03 56:43

For the guests.

SPEAKER_05 56:44

For the guests. Just for guests only.

SPEAKER_07 56:45

Just for guests. Wedding China.

SPEAKER_05 56:48

In the asylum, we're in the asylum in the Lena Olin, who is Arkham Asylum? Yeah, Arkham Asylum essentially.

SPEAKER_03 56:55

It looks like it looks terrible. And we have to do it. Because every every exterior shot looks awful.

SPEAKER_06 57:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 57:04

It's a really it's a really unpleasant movie to physically look at. I even high the other night was like, oh, and like gave up and woke up during Sergeant Kabuki Man NYPD and was like, you have my curiosity, and now you have my attention. And I watched that movie for a good 20 minutes, and then I was like, I should probably brush my teeth and go to bed. And then tried Mystery Men again. The the asylum part for like in the transitioning and and just the effects in general, but that whole asylum piece, the way it's lit.

SPEAKER_03 57:40

Casanova Frankenstein's introduction.

SPEAKER_08 57:42

Yeah. Which is the best part of that.

SPEAKER_03 57:45

Uh doing a very extreme German accent.

SPEAKER_05 57:48

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_08 57:50

It's uh this is a rough accent.

SPEAKER_01 57:52

Are you so one who orders of a guy who has a German accent? On purpose like that. They do it on purpose. And I it's supposed to be camp.

SPEAKER_08 58:00

Yeah, and it works for him. And again his performance isn't bad. All of the like silliness given to people who are so great and can handle it. You know, Jeffrey Rush is so talented and can handle Goofy in a really great way. But I mean, for me, the best part of that scene is Greg Kaneer reading his uh shopping list.

SPEAKER_05 58:21

Yeah, and then stuffs it back in his pocket before anyone can see. I think we should let him go. Captain Amazing says let the guy out. And the doctor says he's no more of a danger to the city than I, which it's like obviously a massive danger to the city, but a little Harley Quinn situation there.

SPEAKER_08 58:39

Yes, right?

SPEAKER_05 58:40

I'm so glad you love Batman so much and can just easily just like bang, bang, bang, all this stuff. Quinzel?

SPEAKER_08 58:46

Quinzel, yeah. Quinzel. Doctor, Dr. Quinzel.

SPEAKER_05 58:49

From Batman the Animated Series originally. Dr.

SPEAKER_08 58:51

Quinzel Medicine.

SPEAKER_05 58:52

God bless. Dr. Quinzel Medicine. Somewhere in time. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. It's June 12th. Where will we find her? 1812. It's June 12th.

SPEAKER_08 59:01

Just go to the video. You said somewhere in Queen's guide. So rough. Anyway.

SPEAKER_05 59:05

Can I just say no? As I've brought this up in front of, I don't want to use a derogatory term. Boomers. And they're like Somewhere in Time on, by the way, apologies. Mackinac Island, I said it incorrectly. In reference to the last episode, Somewhere in Time, Mackinac Island. I when I was doing research, Mackinac, Jean Swank, it's bad.

SPEAKER_04 59:30

It's very bad. Can we cut this apart?

SPEAKER_05 59:33

We. So we can? We can. Okay. See. Yes.

SPEAKER_08 59:39

So very international.

SPEAKER_05 59:42

Yikes. Yeah, this is you should see the location of this podcast is listed in it, and you're like, oh it's shocking that where people are listening to this or how. In Western Europe and Germany and South America, and like we don't have a shitload of listens, but all over the place.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:00

Perfect.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:01

And it's quantum leaping from place to place. Time to time. Using uh different IP addresses. Yeah. Oh, cool. IP emulator. I like that. But uh no, the Somewhere in Time Piece, as I was researching it so and speaking to people about it, so many people like this.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:18

Uh I think my mom really likes that movie.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:20

And that's my stepmom really likes that. Generational thing.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:24

Yeah. Sure. Well, because it's, you know, Christopher Reeve, yeah. And that's the end of what that movie has, don't I say?

SPEAKER_05 1:00:31

Yes. And Christopher Plummer. Sure. James. All the actors are really trying.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:37

Great actors who are trying to do.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:38

And Seymour is Foxy.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:41

With great actors, when Eddie Izzard shows up as one of the fucking Disco boys.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:46

Absolute king.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:47

Fucking awesome. And that's Disco's not dead!

SPEAKER_07 1:00:50

Disco is live! Yes. Absolutely. Yes, Tony. Tony P, baby! Can I be Pauly T?

SPEAKER_04 1:00:58

The T stands for Tony. Can I be Benny M?

SPEAKER_08 1:01:01

I mean. We should probably just be Paul and Ben. It's your podcast. You guys can do whatever you want.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:05

Holy shit. And okay, so let's keep going. And then Captain Amazing is it well I we're probably skipping over something, but Captain Amazie, like Captain Amazing comes to Casanova Frankenstein's mansion.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:16

Yes. So it's they they leave the diner, essentially, after kind of, you know, getting their asses handed to them.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:23

Macy gets chewed out by his wife.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:25

His wife, absolutely. When he's just like, it's my vest too. You know, he's dealing his like kids like face.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:33

Yeah, he decides to follow alone, and that's how he finds out Captain Amazing went, and essentially Captain Amazing is like, take off all your gadgets, and then gets easily fooled.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:44

Because they know each other so well, you know, even just like that thing where he's like called him lamps and you know saw sinks in my slippers.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:53

You know all saw sinks on my fingers. You know all of us things, I am single.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:02

Don't worry about me. I'm just going to my room with three strange men. Just it's fine.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:05

That's a that's fantastic. The best line.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:10

Exterior of um Casanova's uh mansion is uh Huntington Garden. If you've ever been to there in Pascal. Yeah. No. I've never been. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:02:21

The inside with all of its like faux art nouveau-e things, it kind of reminds me of the Casper House, if you guys remember that. Like the 90s. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Correct.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:30

Movie up earlier. And another double feature that I had seen. So this was one, Sixth Sense and Mystery Men. Another one, my dad dropped me off at the movie theater to meet some of my buddies to see Casper. And my dad basically said, I'm gonna go to Target, run my errands, do what I need to do. And then probably about when the credits for Casper are gonna play, they're starting Die Hard with a Vengeance. You can walk in or you can go to the bookstore. Up to you. I mean And I immediately was like, wait, come on, say what? Like I get to see Okay and immediately went into Die Hard with a Vengeance.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:09

After Casper and going into Die Hard with a Vengeance, were you just like so upset there was no Devin Sawa in that movie?

SPEAKER_08 1:03:15

I mean, I'm upset that Devin Sawa is not in every movie.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:18

I was upset Christina Ricci was not in that movie. Also Christina Richie. Yeah. She's such a babe. Still to this day, this moment. 100%. Wednesday Adams was one of my absolute original crushes as a complete full weird person, whatever. I was like, okay, I'm into whatever that whole thing is. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:40

And I watched Wednesday, the series, and bringing her Christina Ricci being in there.

SPEAKER_08 1:03:44

I was just like gorgeous. And like as a redhead, and I mean, yeah, she's she's the coolest. Like, so just to touch on very quickly, because we're bringing out Christina Ricci, like, and Janine Garofalo, who's in this movie. Yeah, like these are like women that like I, you know, idolized and everything.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:01

So like 90s babes.

SPEAKER_08 1:04:03

Like all the 90s babes. And Janine Garofalo is very dry.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:07

Brilliantly dry.

SPEAKER_08 1:04:09

Like cool, sarcastic women who, you know, have it's a big thing.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:13

Everyone who's strong has become challenging, uncontrolled, confident.

unknown 1:04:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:04:18

Yeah. Thank you for calling her Audrey. Um, because her name is Aubrey. Oh, I'm sorry. And my name is Audrey. And I think that's great. You did it right. Sorry. Sorry, Aubrey Plaza. It's because you're Audrey. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:30

But I also both chaotic neutral, though.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:33

Yeah, absolutely. Let's call it what it is. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:36

So But the Invisible Boy and the I'm meeting with three strange men. They're coming in my room. I died laughing at that line. Because the other dad just does not react.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:46

Let's get there. They're looking for new people to join their crew.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:49

Well, that's they get the invisible boy, just based on they just go like to his house and they're like, so do you want to be on our team? And he was like, Yeah, don't look at me and I can do the thing. And then as they're all talking at a diner, the spleen is like, so can I join your king? Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:05:04

Paul Rubens.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:06

Uh Enter Paul Rubens. Enter Paul Rubens. And you think that's gonna go one direction, and we're gonna talk about one thing, and we're not gonna talk about it. We're gonna talk about this movie and the spleen. Can we? Just for a lot of while time. Good amount of time. But then we get to the tryouts. So the spleen and Invisible Boy have already kind of ingratiated themselves.

SPEAKER_08 1:05:28

Right. Without even necessarily being part of the because then they well, he shows them what they can do.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:34

And then I think this is the moment where I realized like entrance, like when the spleen comes into that movie, I was like, hmm, this could have just been a movie for kids, I think.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:43

And but they went too edgy in some parts. Yeah. But it but it easily could have been just a movie for kids. I actually think it should have been. Could have succeeded. Exactly.

SPEAKER_08 1:05:52

A movie for kids.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:53

I think it should have. That's why I kept thinking Spike for adults, I guess. It visually tracks that way.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:02

Character development, it tracks that way. I I haven't thought of it that do we all agree this is like a fantasy comedy?

SPEAKER_03 1:06:07

Yeah. Adventure comedy?

SPEAKER_05 1:06:09

Adventure fantasy.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:10

Action comedy. The action's real big.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:12

There's a big fantasy element. There's a guy who can cut knives guns in half with his mind. Like there are fantasy elements here. It leads really fantasy to me. Like a dude at a diner, like and he can aim a fart and knock somebody out.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:28

It's that superhero genre, right? Like they each have their own power.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:31

It's almost like the toad, I guess. I didn't really think of it. Or is it kind of a gross out?

SPEAKER_08 1:06:34

Yeah, like that there's, you know, again, a world where people have like these superpowers that you know are unrefined kind of in a little bit of a lot of things.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:43

Yeah, like more unfortunate than others. Yeah. That's a good point. I didn't really think of it that way. And when I really try to think of it beyond the kind of PG-13 rating and it's wild to me that it's PG 13.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:55

Because I don't know what the 13 is for.

SPEAKER_08 1:06:56

I can't. I mean, like the Does somebody say sh does somebody swear?

SPEAKER_05 1:07:01

Nobody swears.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:02

There's no swearing in it. At least not that guns?

SPEAKER_05 1:07:05

Somebody gets shot.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:06

Maybe, maybe the violence-ish, but like even that isn't even.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:11

Can somebody do me a huge favor, Ben? Do you mind doing a huge favor? Double check this is PG 13. Maybe I put that down wrong.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:17

No, I'm sure you're right.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:18

I mean, there is a guy who burns himself with a it during tryouts, Dane Cook. Dane Cook shows up as the waffler and burns it like there's self-mutilation. That thing's not even plugged in.

SPEAKER_08 1:07:27

No. It's just a weird sound effect for something that is not hot, and you know that. It's just anyway.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:36

It's really funny because right before I was watching this movie and Jess, who had been on this podcast, uh, she was like coming back and forth, like watching kind of when I was but she stopped at one point and I was like, holy shit, it's Dane Cook. Because I had brought up Dane Cook like a day ago. Or I was like, Doug Jones? But but like specifically, where I was like Jess and I were sitting there doing nothing related to Dane Cook, and I went, Hey, do you remember when Dane Cook was a thing? Yeah, I feel like I was like, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:14

Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:15

And now we look back at his humor and we're like wildly offensive and really bad. Yeah. And it stole a lot of his humor. And that was not everybody's.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:30

I almost rated this on Waffles, actually, based on exactly what you just said. It's like, this was your thing. Digger 13, man.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:36

Waffle Man!

SPEAKER_05 1:08:37

Like the song is alright. Digit 13, baby. But we also get the bowler. This is when we get Janine Garofalo. And what a gal. We cut we fully realize, we meet, we realize, we see, we are introduced the hero of the fucking movie.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:51

I have to say, though, before we get to her in that moment where the artists are not talking about I'm talking about the hero of the movie. For sure.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:59

You're talking about Janine Garofalo, though. Oh, I thought that's what you were saying. Oh no, I'm talking about the hero of the movie. The hero of this movie is a bowling ball. Oh.

SPEAKER_07 1:09:08

Okay. Yeah, yeah. But I'm saying Carma and the Bowler. Carma and the Bowler.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:12

Like the Wonder Woman fight?

SPEAKER_07 1:09:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:16

And then the PMS Avenger?

SPEAKER_08 1:09:18

PMS Avenger. Those were four days a week.

SPEAKER_05 1:09:21

I thought she the actress.

SPEAKER_08 1:09:23

Her fucking delivery of like whatever.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:25

But the Wonderland. And all of them going, oh, okay, okay. That worked. The Wonder Woman fight, just it just reminded me, and I know this is what we all know and shit, but it just reminded me that it was like, ah, fuck. Like so many movies were just made for the intention of men to watch them. Sure. And that was like one of those moments where I'm like, this isn't funny. I don't find it funny. I don't find it there's nothing about this that's interesting other than like it being a male gaze thing.

SPEAKER_08 1:09:53

The fight, I would absolutely agree with that. PMS Avenger, I think it's hilarious.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 1:09:58

I did like PMS Avenger. Only because of, again, like her delivery of it and just this idea that again it's in this world of like mundane superpowers. And for any woman to be like one time a month that I'm available to be a superhero is when I'm on my period. Because that's when I'm like at peak physical prowess of being able to murder somebody, and that's when I will come and join your superhero team. Beyond that, do not bother me, don't call me, I'm not interested.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:29

No.

SPEAKER_08 1:10:29

That that actually didn't bother me, and it kind of worked in in certain ways. But yeah, the one Roman fight, you're just like, ah, okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:37

Well, same with the str the short dresses on the girls at the end where I was like, Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:10:42

Oh, yeah. The jacketing chemicals look like like such an interesting weapon to have because you're like, oh yeah, something that's gonna give someone like a crazy wedgie or something, like, and really fits into yes. Fits into the like vibe of the whole movie. It's like, of course you'd give someone a wedgie, like, because it's so childlike. Um that little bet. You're just like, oh, Ben Stiller, you don't feel good about that, we can tell.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:09

Um a quick counterpoint, I don't want to lose this, to the there are some of those like you know, front wedgie moment type characters or Wonder Woman. But like Claire Forlani is kind of a no bullshit character, Janine Garofalo is a no bullshit character, the PMS Avengers.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:27

So yeah, yeah, she doesn't exist without him.

SPEAKER_08 1:11:30

That was something that upon rewatching it, I was like plot device. Why like the whys of it? Because especially when you meet Janine Garofalo's character, and her and uh Mr. Virus have this, like, have that dynamic of like, why don't you tell me? Why don't you tell me? Which happened so many times in the movie.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:52

You tell me, you tell me.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:53

I was like, oh, they're gonna get it.

SPEAKER_08 1:11:55

Well, and as much as I loved her character got to stand alone, she didn't have to be a love interest to be there, which I think is so fucking cool. Like, she ultimately has like one of the better powers of anybody on the team. Absolutely. She's gonna be able to get the children. Control over the hero.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:13

She sold the day. Yeah. She's a central I mean, looking at it more realistically, she has the bag and the love of her father. So she's really more so the hero. I think he does some of this for revenge for himself.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:25

Of course.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:26

But some of it is obviously for her.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:27

And she just wants to go to fucking grad school. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:30

Okay, we did it. I'm going to grad school. No, hold on.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:32

She calls it graduate school for some of the. I'm going to graduate school. So we're going to go. That felt like a producer note. Yeah. No one knows what grad school is. Call a graduate school.

SPEAKER_08 1:12:40

No one watching this movie knows what grad school is. Yeah. Wait a what school?

SPEAKER_07 1:12:46

Super rude.

SPEAKER_05 1:12:47

I feel like I just went backward in intelligence and time and all sorts of things. But yeah. But I mean, you dig outside when the disco boys confront the mystery men. We're about to kill three, six loses in homemade costumes. It's like, what, you just got guns? Yeah. Like that's not even a good thing. Well, this is before that, I think, where he's like, you did before they attempt to save amazing, whatever.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:10

No, that's the same time.

SPEAKER_08 1:13:11

No, that's the one. It's the one where it's just the three of them.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:15

Oh, on the street.

SPEAKER_08 1:13:16

You're actually thinking of the time before we've jumped ahead. This probably.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:19

This is the part of the issue with this movie for me, was like I I watched the first like 40 minutes or so before I fell asleep, and then I just restarted the movie. So I watched this one and a half times, which I didn't want to admit it at all. I didn't want to admit that at all. But I mean, come on, you can't. So hold on.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:36

If you're keeping track at home, Paul. You get it one time twice. He's watching men one and a half. So let's just make sure we're Paul.

SPEAKER_08 1:13:45

I feel like you can watch a movie once.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:47

I smoke too much memory.

SPEAKER_08 1:13:49

That's actually my goal for you for your next guest. Is that you watched the movie? I know. Maybe.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:56

I know our next movie.

SPEAKER_08 1:13:58

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:59

This is part of the fun of this. We're gonna cut this out. There's gonna be an intentional little blank area that's coming up, listeners, we've had on some other episodes. So it'll be fun to have that conversation.

SPEAKER_08 1:14:13

Hell yeah. Who is it by? I should find out.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:16

Alan Dean Foster. I hope so. He wrote all the novelizations.

SPEAKER_08 1:14:20

I did. You did? Okay, let's get to the disco boys.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:24

So we're talking about are we talking about the part in the limo where they attack the limo?

SPEAKER_08 1:14:28

Or are we talking about No, so that's the other thing too. I feel like there are a lot of encounters in this movie that tend to bleed. But they bring on the bowler to each other. Yes. Yeah, they do. So they bring on the bowler. They bring on the bowler. Um they kind of they get their asses kicked before that.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:44

If they do the like, you have guns, that doesn't even tie into discount.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:47

I actually made a note about that because in that in that moment, and this is a problem that I had with the movie, is the the the action is really a second thought. Like there's no there's no thought put into what the action, like the fight, the combat is. It's just Ben stiller punching too high. Yeah, that's that was one of the things where I was like, is this an action? Is this a comedy? Because it's not enough of either for me to I guess it's a comedy, but like in terms of the action, that was a moment where like they go like, oh, we're gonna fight you. Dude has a gun, dude has a pipe, dude has a fucking chain, and then we just see them like not even kicking them. Like you can tell they're actively not kicking a disco kick. Yes. And then they immediately go to the cafe, and all we see is like kind of bruised, a little bit of a bloody nose.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:32

Tanner bobs in the nose, tan of the nose.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:34

They fucking kill them. Yeah. Why didn't they fucking you went there, they knew why you were there. And you were at the house. You're at their house, you're at their house. Why are they still alive? And even if they're alive, why are they intact?

SPEAKER_06 1:15:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:47

Yeah, it's it's hard to keep an idea, as you were saying, Audrey, of like how a lot of things like bleed with each other. Like the beats and rhythms are very similar to each other. So it's hard to remember exactly what happens when, especially as I was like, I'm not gonna do seven pages of notes anymore. What is wrong with you, Paul? I did that for one of our episodes. It was disgusting. Which episode? Uh Predator, I think. It was Predator or Whiteman Can't Jack.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:12

It was probably Predator because that's when Scott was like, dude, how do you think that's a good one? How many talks a lot? This guy talks a lot. How many notes do you guys have?

SPEAKER_08 1:16:17

Also, Predator, I mean, what a great movie. Yeah, we have a lot of talking points for that, you know. Also, like universally loved. Yeah. I don't think I know.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:25

Great movie. John McTiernan, who we've mentioned many times on this podcast, Marilyn Vance was the costume designer for that movie. Which what a fucking legend. Won the Oscar for Untouchables, by the way.

SPEAKER_07 1:16:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:37

Which, God bless, what a gorgeous movie. Speaking of De Palma, all so many things that already tie together.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:42

Birthday! Let's keep going on the plot because we're dragging and saves them. So I feel like the plot is a pretty like and like he's mysterious. He's very simplified, standard superhero plot. Yes. Right? And the romance, which we've talked about, feels pretty shooting. Kind of shoehorned us.

SPEAKER_08 1:17:00

Yeah, but like I was like I was saying, loved that Janine Garofalo didn't have to be that person in that. However, I think that's trying to think that would have been the better use of it. Yes, is like, yeah, spleen hitting on her. Spleen drives. Is very difficult.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:16

Oh, with the blame, the blame blame. Oh no, he hits on her at the end of the day. Get away. Yeah, it's like absolutely not.

SPEAKER_08 1:17:22

She goes, he goes after it like three times. And stands her ground, so good for her. But also just like that, that would have been the better interest in like, you know, again, Claire Ferlani, absolutely beautiful, lovely. It it could have just tightened up a little and just been like they're fighting constantly, and then she's able to just tell him the exact same thing, which is like, could you just be Roy for a second? Could you drop some of the bullshit and all of that? And her character lends itself to that kind of it does, you know, thing. And then they get into, you know, again, a scrape, and maybe he's got to like kind of come to her rescue, even though she's the one who really has the better powers, like whatever.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:04

Yeah, but you could easily could you imagine the Claire Forlani character just shows up to be like, what do you want? Like for food as the waitress, and that's it.

SPEAKER_06 1:18:16

That's it.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:16

And then Janine Garofalo and Mr. Furious essentially have enough respect for each other as superheroes that she's just like, hey dude, drop the bullshit. It's like Claire Forlani is a completely a plot device. She doesn't need to exist what to whatsoever, other than like eye candy. That's it.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:33

And then she's and then she's a damsel in distress.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:35

But yeah, where when Jeffrey Rush almost kisses her in both their lips, I see both of them, and I'm just like, uh, why is he kissing her?

SPEAKER_08 1:18:42

He's got like a beautiful, like who cares? Yeah, like why does he care?

SPEAKER_03 1:18:46

Like, what do you think it is one of those things though where you're we do this sometime, we did this with summer time, and this is better than that, but like where we start to where we start to make the movie better. And I and it really makes me start to go back to wondering you you consider how long scripts go into development and how many hands are on them and how many eyes are on them. And at this point in 1999, there always had to be a romance, like a traditional romance.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:13

All the worst movies were made between 1999 and 2009. That is a that is a blanket statement. Yeah, Crash won best picture during that period in time. Does anybody else want to argue? That's fair. Thank you. It beat broke. It beat Broke Back Not.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:28

Uh oh. This is where Audrey's like, I like crash. It beat broke back not. Actually, that's what I'm saying. Oh, good. Okay. The real crime in that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:19:37

But absolutely, I I would agree with that.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:39

Yeah, because what you're telling what you're talking about is is very typical. Like, like I said, Beatrice and Benedict from uh from Much Adoo about nothing, is like having that, or or even Petrucchio and uh and think of taming the shrew, yeah, having that relationship, but we don't necessarily have to end in a kissy-kissy.

SPEAKER_07 1:19:57

No, it doesn't.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:59

We can end with like a mutual like respect. Yeah. There's like you watching as an audience going, oh, there's something that might go on there. But it doesn't necessarily have to be the plot device.

SPEAKER_08 1:20:09

No, it's him to be and that they're they're teammates because like even such a like it's such a silly part in the movie or whatever, but when Sphinx is going into their training and everything. The montage. Yeah. It's lame. It's a guy in the mouth too. Fucking smash. Fucking things. But like that point, that point, excuse me, where he's having them like recite, like, I believe in my powers, I believe in the powers of my teammates. And Tony Robbins is like and Nemesis. I, you know, trust in my power, the trust and power of my teammates. And anytime they're talking about their teammates, how like they're they trail off. And of course they don't trust in their teammates, they trust in themselves. Yeah. And like, what a great bit for them to like not trust in each other and end with some trust.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:51

Strong character development between the two of them.

SPEAKER_08 1:20:53

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:54

And so the Sphinx is very much like this was a moment where. Do we get the Sphinx before or after uh Tom Waits' character?

SPEAKER_08 1:21:02

Yeah, after.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:03

But wait, is it?

SPEAKER_08 1:21:05

Tom Waits is in the beginning.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:06

Oh, Tom Waits is in the very, very beginning of the movie. But his big introduction is after.

SPEAKER_08 1:21:10

So uh yeah, you get you get the actual uh So we get Yoda first, we get Q second.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:16

We get the montage, and then they're making costumes. And then Mr.

SPEAKER_08 1:21:20

Furious leaves. Mr.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:21

Furious is like fuck this thematic.

SPEAKER_08 1:21:24

And then they go to Tom Waits.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:26

So I think it was because when we get The Sphinx as the Yoda character, it was a moment where I'm like, I turned to Jess and I was like, there are too many people in this movie. Yes. You needed to simplify the amount of people and who this movie was about. Because if this movie is about Mr. Furious, about Roy, I don't care.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:47

There's some movies about the Shoveler and a kind of Janine Garofalo for me.

SPEAKER_08 1:21:52

And I think that's what makes it what makes it so kind of convoluted upon re-watching like some of those things. The Shoveler, his story is so compelling. He's this dad who has this great wife who's just like four kids, like takes his kids like vest to go fight. His wife, who's this long-suffering woman who lets him hold tryouts in her backyard.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:19

The legend Jennifer Lewis.

SPEAKER_08 1:22:21

Yes, absolutely. You know, Janine Garofflo's character. Lost her dad. He was murdered by Tony. By the way, has that moment with Eddie Izzard where he's like, you know, oh, you're baby bowler, you know. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:34

He's a great villain, but he's so bad.

SPEAKER_08 1:22:35

Especially in that moment where he's just like, I'm the guy who gave your daddy the shaft.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:39

He's a better villain than Casanora Frankenstein. Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_08 1:22:43

I I want a spinoff. I want a discount.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:45

I mean, I could have been the main villain. I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:47

The Mr. Furious thing with again the plot device situation with Claire Forlani. I just let the team. Should I go back to the team? I can't. They lay it on very thick that his main problem is like, I can't be genuine, and and she motivates him to be genuine. So all it takes for him is this pretty girl to be genuine, not these people that have been fighting crime with him and getting bruised and beaten and whatever with him for a decade.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:16

I feel mean. Come on. But I'm thinking so when we're talking about specifically this genre, right? And we're talking about like what are the best villains in uh the superhero genre, and they always have either like some sort of personal attachment to the protagonist or some sort of like weird reflection of the but they usually want something that's in direct conflict, right?

SPEAKER_05 1:23:38

Well, and like Casanova Frankenstein and Captain Amazing are both bad guys, so why do I care?

SPEAKER_03 1:23:44

Yeah, that's the problem, I feel like, because like that's why I think Tony P is a better villain, because Janine Garofalo's character, like those are a direct personal connection. We immediately have something in conflict. It's like when you think about the Joker and uh Batman of the Dark Knight, right? Like they're fighting for Gotham's. Bruce Wayne.

SPEAKER_08 1:24:03

Shh Bruce Wayne doesn't really have black makeup around his eyes.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:11

He wears regular suits. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:24:14

He works at Wayne Enterprises. Yeah. Oh, whoa. He wears a normal suit. I'm telling you, he transformed.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:20

I'm telling you.

SPEAKER_08 1:24:23

He puts on a job and he's transformed.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:26

He has to be there in the morning.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:27

Guys, it's Peter Weller inside the Robocop costume. It's just an incredible performance. Michael Keaton, Bruce Wayne, it's the same guy.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:37

Michael Douglas?

SPEAKER_01 1:24:38

Michael Douglas. Same guy.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:39

Okay, so, but like the Joker.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:41

It's the same guy.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:42

The Joker and Batman are fighting for Gotham's soul, right? They want the same thing. Yes. But they want a different aspect of it. And I feel like Castlever Frankenstein and Mr. Furious, if that's her main character partagonist, is have nothing. Which is the only reason Claire Filani's character is there because she has to have he can transform when he feels like she's threatened.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:02

And I think normally I love movies or toys or things when cartoons when things transform. I love these things. But in this case, not so much. And and I again, it's it's that 2023 v 1999 part of the worst era of filmmaking. Where it's just this Daredevil. I don't know. Let's just say movies. Okay. But Colin Farrell, though. But Colin Farrell was good. Claire Forlani is just fully that plot device. And just see, even at the end where she says he's Mr. Furious, his power is his unbridled rage or whatnot. Right, like there's a weird dependence on each well, also okay.

SPEAKER_08 1:25:43

So now that we're talking about this, you know, wheels turning and all of that, I think that's what is so problematic about this. Is that he doesn't there there isn't like there isn't a moment though, like so when it's like, oh, just be Roy, like whatever. Him being Roy isn't what saves the day. Him going back to being angry is what saves the day.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:07

Or him believing he has power. I don't think he does. No, he's just But that fight, see that's a problem too, is that that fight isn't taken with any amount of serious stakes.

SPEAKER_08 1:26:18

No. No. And it's also because, you know, it's it's Jeffrey Rush with like his coke snail.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:24

He fights with his bump, but we've seen it.

SPEAKER_08 1:26:28

Which is a vibe, and I can do that.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:30

We've seen comedy superhero fights that work.

SPEAKER_08 1:26:32

Absolutely. Of course.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:33

I think immediately to the the fine the finale of Guardians, where where we the first Guardians. I thought of Daredevil. Or not Daredevil, I've said Deadpool, thank you. But I was thinking, like, you know, where's a brain? Yeah. Anyway, that fight to me just doesn't feel like it. No, if the goal is that he needs to be Roy and not pretend to be Mr. Furious, we don't get it.

SPEAKER_08 1:26:54

Then it doesn't work. And then also at the end, when she's all of a sudden like about him being Mr. Furious, seems really weird because it's like Did he prove that's who he really is? Right. Did he prove that's who he is, or was it great because you're not dead? Like it's great because he saved you.

SPEAKER_00 1:27:11

I mean, that's just the whole thing in this.

SPEAKER_08 1:27:13

I actually that's the issue, I think, with it is that his story isn't the one that you really want to root for.

SPEAKER_05 1:27:22

No, there's one romance in this movie that I'm really sold on that I really buy, and that's the spleen and the skunk. That is the one romance I'm really sold on.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:32

I wrote to the room. Skunk humping is just what the fuck. And the moon, and it's just like they're not even playing Dean Martin.

SPEAKER_08 1:27:45

No, they're they're playing like uh like an Aria. Beethoven or something?

SPEAKER_05 1:27:49

Yeah, I don't know. The All-Stine. I wish. Well then we transition inside of Casanova, Frankenstein's, and we get all of these various gangs that are. Including CeeLa Green.

SPEAKER_08 1:28:03

And can I say though? Oh well, Michael Bay.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:07

And the Frat Boys, he's the leader of the Frat Boys.

SPEAKER_08 1:28:10

Also, I love that that's an evil group, the Frat Boys. Yes, it should be. That was that was spectacular.

SPEAKER_05 1:28:17

And then he and that Casanova Frankenstein goes, yeah, I kill my own guys after he kills them. Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:28:22

He kills the Frat Boys. Yeah, kills Frat Boys, as he should. Um say, Oh, this guy gets this guy is evil. Saying that I discovered on this watch of it, because I had absolutely no idea. Um, the gang, the Susies, uh, one of the guys in that, Sun Kang, who is in the Fast and Furious. Tokyo Drift, yeah. Uh but also directed. Justice for Han, baby. Um a movie that I designed. Oh right. He uh was is his first time directing, and we did a horror movie about a year ago.

SPEAKER_06 1:28:53

Awesome.

SPEAKER_08 1:28:54

Um, Shaky Shivers, shouts out, Shaky Shivers. Um, hopefully it did a little horror movie circuit. Very cool. And it's this little like cute, naughty love letter to like 80s horror movies and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:06

Into it. Um you have things to plug.

SPEAKER_08 1:29:08

Yeah. I mean, well, it's not, I mean, I don't know. Justice for Han. Yeah. And Justice for Han. He is the greatest guy. Um I love hearing that. I'm kind of glad that I didn't know he was in Mystery Men when we worked together. Because I totally would have brought it up. And would have been like, come on, man, let's talk about mystery men.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:26

Don't talk to me.

SPEAKER_08 1:29:27

Stop talking to me about that. Like, what is the matter with you?

SPEAKER_05 1:29:30

Um we've we've missed a big point. This is the movie blending again. I'm sorry, like it's like this is the end of the first time they infiltrate the castle and the we don't need to. And Amazing talks them through killing him. Yeah. Well, he kills himself.

SPEAKER_08 1:29:46

Actually, we do need to talk about the exalted sandwich? Uh uh the exalted sandwich. But Blue Raja's mom wants him to fall content.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:54

The tank, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:29:55

Um but we and the shop lady, the best. Oh, I guess all the good junk must have gone to waste by now. Um Shut up, John Cally.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:06

John Captain Sally, the best.

SPEAKER_08 1:30:09

My favorite. We do need to talk about the Hercomer Battle, Chitney. Yeah, no, I'm They go to save Captain Fantastic.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:16

When they go to save Captain He's a total dick to them and treating them like idiots.

SPEAKER_08 1:30:20

But that moment when they have the whole toggle thing and like whatever, and Bill Macy is over at the side and he's like, what do you mean? I didn't kill him. Like, I'm standing over here.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:31

I was standing over here. No, no, I'm not even an accessory to this. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:35

I like that he doesn't. Captain Amazing doesn't actually know. It feels like he doesn't actually know what is to be done, but he's acting like he does. It's like it's isn't it? It's a it's it's that confidence of like he knows he thinks he's in charge.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:49

And he thinks they're all idiots. Yeah. Yes. But in reality, they're we've actually already learned they're not all idiots. Yeah. They are capable, but that his explanation is very confusing. And he's and he also seems to understand that if they do it wrong, he will die. He has no empathy.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:04

He has zero empathy.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:06

But the reason he's talking so fast is because he thinks he's gonna he knows that if they do it wrong, he's gonna die. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:31:12

Getting more and more agitated. And also you can see that, or the idea, it feels like, is that he's actually realizing that he's genuinely trapped and it is his fault.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:23

Yeah. Yes.

SPEAKER_08 1:31:23

And he fucked this up.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:25

And so he's placing all his anger and blame on them and treating them like trash, and like that they aren't ex understanding exactly what he's saying in the terminology he's using, that they're imbeciles. Sure. Right. I personally, he started all of this. He's the villain of the movie, and he's dead. And so now it's like I've lost the main guy I dislike now. Sure. And he should have been the big villain. Okay, and that's where the stakes are mostly gone, except for like showdown. Are the blue Raja and his mom gonna fuck? Is it gonna happen? Like, that's the thing I'm really holding on to, because I really think she wants him to fork her. You ruined it. She wants him to fork her.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:03

So rough.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:04

She does, but it's a little weird.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:07

But another good point of like making the movie better. If Casanova Frankenstein, uh also a good subversion, if Casanova Frankenstein is the one who like dies suddenly, sure, and that we then have they have to then show down Captain Masing finds out that they let him loose, that he was like all he it's his fault that cat that Frankenstein's out at all. Yeah, like then they're like we need to bring you to justice, and then we have an actual conversion of differing. We've just made the movie better, you guys.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:36

He immediately dispatches Frankenstein, and then they have to face him once they find out that he was behind the whole thing.

SPEAKER_08 1:32:43

And then you actually have a real like showdown and have Mr. Furious be your lead again because there is that like already.

SPEAKER_07 1:32:52

Yeah, and he can actually just be Roy. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_08 1:32:55

He's Roy, he's a regular god who's bringing this dude to justice, and he's somebody who like gets to be the good guy in the end because he believes in this, and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:07

I do have to mention in this moment because they the effects of him dying, like the like the morphine, the psychophagulator. Yeah, psychophagulator, and then he like gets all burnt and crispy and like his eyeballs sticking this way, and then the mystery men all exit quickly, and then uh Casanova and all the bad guys come up and they see this like pretty cool practical thing that's sitting there. And his disco friend, the the black dude with the big fro, like comes up to him. Tony C looks up, looks at him really close and goes, This suck is dead. So good. This suck is dead.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:43

That is one of the better pieces.

SPEAKER_08 1:33:45

But I mean, also too, you have Janine Garpolo's character going up checking his pulse. Yes. Yes. It's just like too much with the dead body. It's like we all know he's dead, guys. Look at this man.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:57

They get they get the junk Hercomer fixed up and everything, and they make their own costumes, and we finally get to see them. And I'm gonna have made those. I'm gonna say so.

SPEAKER_08 1:34:09

No, they absolutely did not. An entire team of people made those costumes.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:14

I saw them working because Jessica she sews, and I was like, how do they all know how to use a sewing machine?

SPEAKER_08 1:34:19

Uh also in the woods?

unknown 1:34:20

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 1:34:21

With their tent. And I'm I'm down for it. I love it. I love stupid world building like that where it just makes no sense, but at the same time, you're just like, you did not make that costume.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:30

I thought I was gonna sound insane because I was gonna say that those don't look homemade. It looks like the Sphinx was like a master tailor and I thought that they were ultimately pretty solid, and it Blade was a dark movie with dark costumes and and tried to ground itself in a real world as much as it could. And then X-Men, what would you prefer? Yellow spandex? And it's like, oh no, Mystery Men reminded me I don't.

SPEAKER_07 1:34:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:54

Blue, yellow, whatever color they are, I don't. I do prefer your weird leather Nomex, neoprene, whatever.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:00

We have come a little bit full circle in in terms of Captain America. Well, not even that, but in terms of like recognizing the comic origins in in adaptations, I would not be surprised if in the next Deadpool where we're getting uh Hugh Jackman back, if we get the Wolverine. Because they've teased it so many times in that franchise where we get to the point in the Wolverine, he opens a thing and there is like the yellow mass with the and you're like, oh, we're going to get it in the next, and then we get Logan, and obviously there's nothing. I feel like it's to that point now where you could do a version of that color without it being bad.

SPEAKER_08 1:35:43

Yeah, no. I mean, like, there's you can nod to anything for sure. And I mean, even just going back to the multiverse that even with a lot of because so much like early superhero stuff is so primary colored. You know, like you think of like Superman, yellow, red, blue, kind of, like, even a lot of the time. Yeah, it's it's it's very like it's simple, but you can do all of that and bring it into something now with like texture and printing and so many different things to make it look less cheesy, I guess, is the way, because like you probably could do a yellow and blue X-Men suit and have it look really cool. And part of that too is like um aging and distressing, like your costumes and things like that to make them more interesting. So does it shout out aging and distressing department, all of our age or dyers out there who are all obviously listening. Of course. Um and please email and correct them. Them, not me. Um I am perfect and flawless. Uh yeah, that that brings such life to like what you do. I mean, anything that you make is pristine, like right off the bat, and you buy a shirt from Macy's and it's got its little like creases in the arms, and it looks like it came out of a package, and the second you give it to, you know, somebody who uh has a really great artistic eye and can make it look like it's you know been lived in and worn in and all of that stuff, and makes it look super cool, and all of a sudden your audience buys the fact that that person, you know, is like a drunk who's been living, you know, in a car for a week because that shirt looks like that, as opposed to being something brand new. And so that X-Men suit could look really groovy.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:34

I want to thank Audrey for costuming me. Yeah, yes, they are both can't tell this man, but I look like a drunk that slept in a car.

SPEAKER_08 1:37:41

Absolutely, and I worked really hard. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 1:37:43

Uh and I'm looking like I'm trying to pass for 50.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:46

No, Paul looks like a meth addict from Portland.

SPEAKER_05 1:37:50

As usual. Wow. Um okay, back to the movie. We get the the ultimate hero, the bowling ball. Facing down against the ultimate villain.

SPEAKER_08 1:38:01

Carmine the bowler.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:02

Eddie Izzard. And as he Eddie Izzard walks along like a catwalk. It's such a bad showdown. And it is the the the um the moment when uh Tony P dies is like so anticlimactic. Like you're like, okay.

SPEAKER_08 1:38:16

Because the ball does get him.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:18

But Janine, he says, uh, oh, it's you, baby bowler. And he's flipping around a hairspray can and he sprays his hair with it, and then he says, You can't kill me, I'm a killer. Whatever he says. I'm protected by the god of hair care. And then all of a sudden, the hairspray can is a flamethrower out of fucking nowhere. And immediately Janine Gararfalo just throws the bowling ball and he's dead, and it's over. And this is where for me, my all the only character that I truly love, a bowling ball, that sounds like a didgeridoo. Oh, yeah, the like I do like everyone I care about, and I know it's gonna win.

SPEAKER_08 1:39:01

Yeah. I do like her explaining to them when she first meets them how her dad died. Yeah. And they were like, was it unusual circumstances? And she's like, Yeah, he spicked down in elevator shaft onto some bullets.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:13

Onto four bullets.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:15

Yeah, I mean, I love the bullying. I love Carmine the bowler as the but it is a little bit Deus Machina of like, yeah, oh, if we get into trouble.

SPEAKER_07 1:39:24

The bowling ball will do it.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:25

The bowling ball will save us.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:26

Yeah, no problem. Easy P. Just lead with that, like the Power Rangers, just lead with the Megazord and the big sword slash thing.

SPEAKER_08 1:39:33

But here's the thing you you would buy it and you would deal with it if a lot of other things were buttoned up. And I think that's what it is. Yeah, it's that like him being a part of it. Because even her just like talking to him, the bar. It's much more interesting.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:39:48

Like her talking to him at the end when exactly. Oh, dad's two. She's going to be able to do it.

SPEAKER_03 1:39:53

And the and he should have the bullying ball should have died.

SPEAKER_07 1:39:56

No, I mean, yeah, I would have cared more. It was a sacrifice. Yeah. Massacrifice.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:03

But again, the movie wasn't about her. It should have been more about her.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:09

The main person that I care about when it's all said and done, I guess, is the shoveler, and I'm very happy that it's baby bowler for me. Okay, but we we get the fight with Mr. Furious and Frankenstein where the blue Raja throws the forks into a blue Raja moment.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:26

Yeah. But I love that the Blue Raja, the way that he needs to throw them better, is throwing them better into it. Yeah. Okay, fine.

SPEAKER_08 1:40:32

Fighting them. Because it's about him being more, you know, dynamic and secretive.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:37

I don't know. I'm just I don't know. But Ben Stiller easily climbs up the forks, and then he gets his ass kicked with the coke nail, and then he kicks he gets too mad and does a bunch of stuff that feels completely normal.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:51

And also, couldn't he have been thrown down the stairs that were electrified at any moment?

SPEAKER_07 1:40:55

Yeah, at any time. Sure. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:57

Like when he was getting his ass kicked, like he could have just been thrown down those stairs.

SPEAKER_05 1:41:00

Hey, but he couldn't would he have been able to say frack you later, Franken Puss, which is a horrible line.

SPEAKER_08 1:41:05

It's a terrible line. And he's got some stupid lines, but he does. I will say though, I did say like mama pajama a lot for a long time. And I still do every once in a while.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:17

But like they must have filmed him saying a lot of like death lines of like sure. But that was easily the worst. It was really bad. It's worse than brush hours, wipe yourself off. You did.

SPEAKER_05 1:41:29

It happened right after he had it happened right after he had a good line, which was you must have ripped the cue page out of my dictionary because I don't know the definition of quit. And Claire Forlani's even impressed by that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:41:42

And then he completely fumbles the bag right after it.

SPEAKER_05 1:41:45

Tranculator.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:46

Frank and Fuss. Frank and Fuss. Stupid.

SPEAKER_08 1:41:49

Also, I wonder if they were allowed to do any improvements.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:53

Oh, for sure. So they were constantly, constantly.

SPEAKER_08 1:42:01

That makes so much sense. And no one knew who the lead was, and they were all trying to figure out that has to be so maddening, not just as an actor, but also for everyone else on your crew around you, is like ensemble things when people don't kind of know who's a sort of guiding there's no real leader. Well, but also many personalities trying to figure out what's happening. Also, too, though, I wonder if it's a way to keep people in line. It's like if you're the one.

SPEAKER_03 1:42:31

I mean, I feel like the three leads are clearly why William H. Macy, Ben Stiller, and Hank Azaria introduced from the beginning, and we follow them into their family life. But for me, Jeanine Garaffalo is the more interesting character.

unknown 1:42:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:42:44

With the backstory with her dad and having the dad be the And again, ends up saving the day.

SPEAKER_05 1:42:49

So um shit. There was a part like a part that I wanted to bring up that we missed, and hopefully it'll hit me again when we come back to it. But the they use the bowling ball to destroy Casanova Frankenstein's big evil machine, the skunky funk, butt stanky jack or jackets.

SPEAKER_07 1:43:05

Psycho fraculated. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 1:43:08

And the purple explosion is cool. The model's not great, but the purple explosion is cool. And the ball flying at the screen with the didgeridoo, I love it.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:14

I did write the effects, do remind me of Ghostbusters in some way. Okay. Which is fascinating because this movie came out in 1999. Yeah. Fifteen years later. And the graphics don't look that much improved. The whole out cheating. Honestly. Yeah. And using them, and this was the time in the beginning of 2000 where you're using so much CG, even for like exterior shots, because you think they look better. Cool or smaller. They're more otherworldly. But like a models looked fine forever.

SPEAKER_05 1:43:44

Dark City perfected it. And these look because it was before 1999.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:49

These look real bad, like cutscenes from a video game. Oh. But worse.

SPEAKER_05 1:43:53

I remember the thing I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_03 1:43:55

It's about masturbating.

SPEAKER_07 1:43:56

Always.

SPEAKER_05 1:43:57

I am right now.

SPEAKER_07 1:43:58

I'm feeling trapped again.

SPEAKER_05 1:44:00

So when they get Casanova Frankenstein in his Corvette limo and they stop him and they go and celebrate it at the bar as their giant victory. Sure. And Mr. Furious slaps the car all over and and uh Janine Garofalo throws the ball and figure it out. The um William H. Macy delivery of I'm gonna ask you one more time, where is Captain Amazing? I'm like, damn it, god damn it, this guy's so good. What a goddamn waste!

SPEAKER_08 1:44:30

I mean, and and that's the other thing too about his character in particular. I will say, there there could be an argument made for some of these characters having their own standalone thing. Um, his character in particular. Yeah. Just because his story's compelling. Yeah. Like, yeah, absolutely. His his story is compelling as well. Like his mom giving and the silverware and being like, I was gonna say was that.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:56

What if he had asked it like this? I'm gonna ask you one more time now. Now you just have to tell me the truth. Where now where is Captain Amazing? I know you I know you know.

SPEAKER_08 1:45:04

I'm glad he saved that voice.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:07

I know you now I I told her down at the office, I don't know why you had to come out here.

SPEAKER_08 1:45:13

Um he's a treasure in a lot of these moments.

SPEAKER_05 1:45:17

I mean No, I I couldn't agree with you more.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:20

So towards the end, I wanted to mention a Sky Beam because this movie has a Skybeam. Sure. Which was a common trope throughout superhero movies and continues to be sometimes where you're like, was there a fire sale on Sky Beams?

SPEAKER_08 1:45:38

Yeah, by the way It was at the same sale as that Smash Mouth song. Uh you will notice that in my notes, Sky Beams all-star so many exclamation marks and all caps because it's yelling. Oh shit, sorry.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:52

You're an all-star.

SPEAKER_05 1:45:53

So the movie uh ends. The bowling ball won.

SPEAKER_03 1:45:56

Oh yeah, saves and goes in, destroys the fracos and later.

SPEAKER_05 1:46:01

Be better to people, the DMV and people who like uh independent cinema. Independent films, seek out that please like and we get Kel Mitchell, I guess, doing this very often song about the mystery men and what they're doing and what the movie's about.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:17

We're the dude squad?

SPEAKER_05 1:46:18

Super squad. Super squad squad. Sphinx says it. No, the alliteration's bad at this point. It's corny.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:23

Well, we'll never know who these mystery men are, except that it is one who's a woman.

SPEAKER_08 1:46:26

So what's her name? Monet Mazur, that actress? Oh, I don't know. The reporter? Oh, I don't know. Yeah, she's super pretty. Uh I'm trying to remember what else she was in. Um Monette Mazur, I think, is her name. And I thought it was very like, again, Batman y that the reporters are in like 40s gear. Yes. Which is such a like such a Batman thing. Again, very good. But also too, such a such a the what is it, like the best time that reporters looked great was the 40s, I guess, maybe. Or at least it's the most. Very much just ripped off from again. Iconic, I guess you would say. Or just making Batman for it. It's also a producer going like uh people only know they're a reporter if they look like they're from the next one, so make sure that hats in the world.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:10

Batman forever. She looks fucking great. Okay, make all the poets make them all look like Dr. Chase Junkin. Yeah. Dr. Chase Meridian is probably the sexiest junk.

SPEAKER_07 1:47:22

But just make sure they're gonna be a good thing.

SPEAKER_05 1:47:23

Heartbreak feels good in a place like this.

SPEAKER_07 1:47:25

That's it, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:47:26

Well, Mystery Men. We watched it, we got all the way through it. I watched it one and a half times. I've been scolded already, don't worry. It's okay. I got to watch Sergeant Kabuki Man NYPD for a little bit between it.

SPEAKER_03 1:47:38

So now we get to, after discussing, we get to our statements have changed. You get to decide what the order is.

SPEAKER_08 1:47:45

Um, Paul, you go first.

SPEAKER_05 1:47:48

Started at two bowling balls skulls in acrylic.

SPEAKER_03 1:47:52

Bowling skulls.

SPEAKER_05 1:47:53

Bowling skulls. I'm gonna I'm gonna end at two bowling skulls. I stopped myself from going to a one and a half. Because this was really fun to talk about, but only because I think we kind of all agree, like, it seemed like it's like, oh, this failed on a lot of levels. And for me, it's hard to now that I'm fully realizing the Claire Forlani plot device, how easily that could have been maybe better, how much easily the it's like you didn't have to it wasn't that funny when you killed Captain Amazing, it maybe would have been better, and if they had saved him, he had killed Casanova Frankenstein and they had to come back and get him. Excellent point there, and we're just three people sitting here half drunk on champagne, and we improved that movie. Half? Potentially.

SPEAKER_08 1:48:41

Okay, three three and quarters.

SPEAKER_05 1:48:43

So I I do think there are some good performances in the movie, but I don't want to bang on it too hard. I'm I'm gonna stay at the two. It is a it is a movie that feels polished and studio enough to me and structured well enough to me, funny enough to me, costumes are decent enough to me. A lot of the stuff is decent enough to me. I'd I'm not gonna I still wonder is this a good, bad movie or a bad, good movie? I still don't know the answer to that, but I'm gonna stick with a two.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:15

My turn?

SPEAKER_06 1:49:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:16

Um I was very, very tempted to go to three uh when we were in the depth of this conversation in the middle, mostly because talking about each individual character and some of these in-jokes, it felt like I was I was I was really leaning that way because I thought it was better than I because of those things, and specifically like I think Willie Maj Macy's performance and Jenny Grafflu's performance, and I think when we got to the third act and this podcast kind of fell apart because I think that the because I think the third act kind of fell apart. Oh, do you suck? Don't come back.

SPEAKER_05 1:49:53

I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_08 1:49:53

I will I will never come back. I know, but but I apologize. I think rightly I'm gonna stop watching movies.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:58

Yeah, that's you should retire. Most of them are bad. I will never most of them are bad. In the whole most are bad.

SPEAKER_08 1:50:06

I'm gonna stop watching them, I'm gonna stop making them.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:08

Yeah, people who make movies are just pretentious.

SPEAKER_08 1:50:11

Yeah, yeah. Terrible people.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:12

Just go to the library.

SPEAKER_08 1:50:14

Read a book. Well, that was the last episode.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:16

Go drink Pepsi.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:17

But drink a Pepsi to stay alert so you have the caffeine to keep reading. Drink at the library.

SPEAKER_08 1:50:22

Pepsi, read a book.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:23

Fly your hair and your jet there. There's room to land. Super Bowl. Easy.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:29

Easy. So I think I'm gonna stay at two and a half Steve Harwell's. Uh he now you're an all-star. Uh that's where I'm landing.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:37

Tom Waits, Tornado in a Can, Shrinking Ray. Tom Waits. Just let I want to make sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:42

We forgot to land on that uh a little bit. But yeah, Tom Waits, I love it.

SPEAKER_05 1:50:46

The movie doesn't forget because he's celebrating the heart in the director.

SPEAKER_08 1:50:52

There's so many. And I mean it is, it does feel like a lot of like little naughty in-jokes as to how many people are in it and all that. And I love Tom Waits. I love his psycho music, and I love him. Um so it's fun having him in this and everything. But uh I think I started this out at what, 3.5? Sounds right. Psychofraculators. I'm gonna I'm gonna go down to a three thank you for talking through it and articulating like all of the bits about it, because most of the time I've talked to people about why they don't like this movie. They will just begin and end on, I didn't like it. It's just not funny. It's this, and you know, enjoying some discourse about you know what could make something better, what could make it more interesting.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:43

A pleasure.

SPEAKER_08 1:51:44

Yeah, is is always delightful. I still love it though. I mean, you know, never, never gonna not have it on the rotation. Have it on Blu-ray.

SPEAKER_05 1:51:53

I love Stone Cold with I love Stone Cold with Brian Bosworth, I love Deep Blue Sea, I love No Holds Bar.

SPEAKER_04 1:52:01

Nightmare L Street 4 is my favorite.

SPEAKER_05 1:52:03

Uh yeah, everybody has different tastes. I I enjoyed watching the movie for the podcast. I'll never watch it again. Yeah, I wouldn't get Paul never watch it again.

SPEAKER_08 1:52:14

Uh I want everyone to know he made very deep eye contact when that happened. Are you having fun? Are you having a good time?

SPEAKER_03 1:52:20

Are you glad you brought this?

SPEAKER_07 1:52:21

I'm feeling trapped again.

SPEAKER_03 1:52:22

This is again Paul as a father. I want him to say it again. Yeah. Imagine him as a father. Are you having a good time?

SPEAKER_05 1:52:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_08 1:52:31

I'm not having any fun. Oh no.

SPEAKER_05 1:52:33

You can look at me. No, look at me. Have some respect. Are you glad you brought this? Are you glad? Alright.

SPEAKER_03 1:52:39

Thank you, Audrey, for bringing this.

SPEAKER_06 1:52:41

You're a good conversation. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:52:44

I want to have a special thanks to Jamie Headwood again for making it don't be. Paul. Always a pleasure.

SPEAKER_05 1:52:51

Yeah, Paul X Batley, Letterboxd.

SPEAKER_03 1:52:53

Run BMC, find me on Letterboxd. Let's ring them. Watch it. Or don't.

SPEAKER_05 1:53:00

A two, a three, and a two and a half. Two and a half.

SPEAKER_03 1:53:03

So until next time, special thanks to Pepsi for uh offering Pepsi. Goodbye.