Drew Davis - That Thing You Do!/Furious 7 020

This week on Core Memory, Cortney chats with comedian, podcaster, and producer, Drew Davis, about That Thing You Do! (1996) and Furious 7 (2015)!

Follow Drew on Instagram: @drewdaviscomedy @clean_comedy_collective!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

I was thinking about this when I was watching this movie last night. Even even as an adult, even as an aspiring comedian, I have been in so many crappy dive bar shows, and I've had my the exact thought, because I was thinking about it last night when I was watching the movie, where I was like, maybe this is my airport crappy pizza place moment. Maybe someone will see me here.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

And I'm so excited because this week I have on the hilarious comedian, author, producer, and overall like uh movie historian for one specific franchise and podcast and podcaster. Please welcome to the pod, Drew Davis. Yay!

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Hey so much for having me, Courtney. I am um, and I appreciate that my uh infamy with Fast and Furious has come before me on this one.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Oh, of course, it came even before podcaster because I think that you are a true historian, and like you're like the Indiana Jones of Fast and Furious, I feel like.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

I hope to one day teach a college class on just Fast and Furious. Uh, one of the greatest honors I have ever had was uh it I was I was a guest on a podcast about like cars and video games, and I think they also talked a little bit about movies and how to do with cars, and they introduced me as and like titled me and credited me as a fast and furious expert. And I was like, well, there we go. That's it.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

That's incredible. I I love that for you. It's a well-deserved and well-earned title for you. Um, but Drew, I thank you for being here. What's going on? How are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 2:02

I am doing so well. This is you are the first podcast I've done in my new place. I just recently moved. We talked about this before, and so this is the first time I I had to go around and find the room with the best light and the best place I've I I successfully found it. And uh so I'm doing very well, and I'm also enjoying just uh figuring out. I just recently got back into like full-time work life, but comedy and entertainment is still a big part of my life, and I'm just working on the balance and figuring out what to keep on doing um and what stuff to maybe not do as much. And uh, but I I'm very grateful for like opportunities like this to be on a podcast and talk movies and just enjoy life.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Hell yeah. No, I'm glad that you're here too, because like, yeah, the work-life balance being an adult, it's hard because like if you don't like if you're not like a super rich, full-time, successful comedian in the way that you can like you know, buy your family a new house and your yourself like three new houses, it's hard it's hard to try and find that strike that balance and decide if what the right decision for you is moving forward.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

Right. It does feel like it's a feast or famine type situation. It's either you have three houses or you can barely afford like a dumpster next to you.

SPEAKER_00 3:15

Dude, exactly. Well, it's like the whole like thing where it's like there's no middle class comedians, like not like the style of comedy they do, but like as far as like can't someone just like you know make a decent like you know, make like 80k a year, rent a place, you know, and like be famous enough to do gigs and do late night and whatever, but like you don't have to be like you don't have to be in the tabloids and like what you know what I mean? It's it seems like there's not a lot of option for the middle ground, and I don't know if there really ever has been for comedians, if I'm being honest.

SPEAKER_02 3:44

I I feel like maybe not, like the middle ground comedians are doing comedy and other stuff, like they are middle ground because they have a middle ground job, and then they're also using their time that they're not working to create and be comedians and stuff like that, I feel like.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Yeah, yeah, true. Like either they have like other like part-time jobs like or full-time jobs like what we have, or they're actors, or they're writing on a TV show, they're not just like straight stand-ups, you know.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

Yeah. If all we we all we all aspire to be like the band in that thing you do, where we're discovered and then we can just leave everything. And and that, and that's honestly where I uh I think where my dream first started was with that thing you do and do it and get into it. And I was like, it's gonna be me. I just need a fill. I just need a creepy old man in a in an RV to find me and give me stew and have me sign a contract, and then it actually worked out. That was that was my realization when I rewatched the movie as an adult. I was like, this could have gone so much worse for those guys, those young folks who are like, let's just sign the the RV guys contract with him. Dude, that would be so sketchy.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

It's so sketchy, and I feel like, you know, um, audience, also before we get super into it, I want to bring up some of Drew's Drew's two picks tonight. Uh his first movie he remembers seeing is That Thing You Do, and his favorite movie is Furious Seven. Uh let's just get we were already talking about That Thing You Do, so let me read off some quick stats and then I'll give my opinion about creepy RV Man.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

Um okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to jump into Oh, no, not at all. After watching this movie, I've been wanting to talk to this.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

I wanted to talk about this with someone, and who else do you bring up a movie from you know, early 90s or the late 90s and caught casual conversation, you know?

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Oh, dude, no, don't ever be sorry. I'm so excited that we're getting into it. It was a perfect segue. Um, but uh just audience for some quick stats about that thing you do came out in 1996. Uh famously written and directed by Tom Hanks, also starring Tom Hanks, Tom Everett Scott, Steve Zahn, Liv Tyler, among many Charlie's Theron, among many, many other actors in this movie. Uh, some you've seen go on to do great things, like, you know, be in Lord of the Rings and Mad Max, and some you've never heard from again. And uh that's just how that goes. Um so so, Drew. So my first question for you is uh can you tell me about the first time you saw this movie?

SPEAKER_02 6:10

Yeah, so I was um I had to have been about 10 or 11, and I know, and it's weird because what I know the purpose of this podcast is like, oh, what's the first movie you remember seeing? There probably were other movies that I remember seeing beforehand, but this was the first one that just really grabbed me by the horns. Um, and so I saw it when I was 10, and I was absolutely obsessed with the song. I was obsessed with the band. I was I I I was texting you this yesterday. I don't know why, because in hindsight, terrible people choices online. I was obsessed with Jimmy. I thought Jimmy was the coolest. It did not dawn on me till years later what a jerk he was. I don't know what I was missing in the butt like I remember being very young and like trying to style my hair like Jimmy because I thought he was so cool. And like, and I was watching it last night. I was like, this guy is the worst. Like he's just and he's and and and he he's not even that talented. Like you well, I used to think that was part of his character is that he was talented because Tom Minx brought the talent, said he was talented, but he rolled his eyes and said, and the only other person who thought he was talented was Liv Tyler, Faye, who was like, but she was just you know stupidly in love. You know, she what once the veil of love was taken out, she was like, Oh, this guy's a real jerk. But I was in love with him too at 10. I was like, this is the coolest guy. I want to be the lead singer of the band, I want to be Jimmy. Uh and and and what was really cool about this movie for me was um mu music in general was a big deal when I was growing up because uh I come from a family where every male isn't just an athlete, they're like the star athlete of their their team in high school and growing. And so that was true with like my older brother, that was true for my dad, that was true for any extended relatives. Um, and I was like the first Davis that was terrible at literally every sport he played at. And so my entire elementary school and early middle school life was just me trying out a sport, thinking, well, maybe this is the one where I'll find my identity and sucking at it terribly. And then in about third grade, uh we I got, you know, my parents let me do piano lessons. I I learned I was um I learned that I have a very good ear for music. So music-related things really started taking off for me, and then watching that thing you do, and later in life watching the movie School Rock, kind of the same thing. And and and in high school, I was I was in a band, and uh just just this, so this movie really captured like the dream I wanted to have to be to become super successful, and you know, even even if it was a one-hit wonder, just get where everyone knows and respects you because something musically you create, and that's a big part of that thing you do. And like when I watched it at 10 or 11, I was like, oh my gosh, I want to be one of these guys so bad. I want to be I and even and and I was thinking about this when I was watching this movie last night, even even as an adult, even as an aspiring comedian, I have been in so many crappy dive bar shows, and I've had my the exact thought, because I was thinking about last night when I was watching the movie, where I was like, maybe this is my airport crappy pizza place moment. Maybe someone will see me here at this at Springwater dive bar in Nashville and be like, man, I want I want you to come to my RV. Let's get you signed on something.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

I think someone from Springwater would absolutely invite you to their RV, but not for what you did.

SPEAKER_03 9:45

No, not for for the usual invite. I mean what did that did did Phil live in his RV? Yeah, was he just traveling around looking for bands?

SPEAKER_00 9:57

He must have been, and also, but the fact that he made good on his promise to these kids is like insane because when I was watching it, uh kind of what I was alluding to earlier was like my first time watching this movie, and uh I was like, Oh, these kids are gonna get really screwed over, like this is gonna be really, really upsetting. But then I but then I watched, I'm like, oh, everything worked out for them?

unknown 10:17

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 10:19

It just yes, it was a very hyper-realistic of what you would hope the one-hit wonder music life would be. Like that all the I mean, even to the point where like Tom Hanks, uh, he wasn't like a sketch, like because this was also what I was thinking when I was watching this from the perspective as an adult, even though you know I was like, Oh, Jimmy's just such a jerk, his concerns were like contracts in the music industry, those aren't invalid. But like every everyone they were working with like was nice and honorable, and even you know, Tom Hanks and Phil and all the all the industry people they worked with really did have like I mean, they had their rules, like this is how we're gonna do it, but like I don't know, they didn't have to deal with a sketchy sleaze ball.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Yeah, it was a very idealized version of like everything that like what if everything just worked out, you know what I mean? Like, and like that just is not, I mean, yeah, that's just not how that goes. And like, I totally get why you like Jimmy though, because you know, I can see like he's the lead singer of the band. He's very like artsy and interesting. He's like, no, this is like how it has to be. And I can see that being appealing to uh young people, where it's like, oh, that's an artist, that's how you be an artist, even though the movie was very much framed around Guy and it felt like it was very much his story. Like, Jimmy was still like the cool dude, you know what I mean? He had the hair, he had all that, yeah, the cute girlfriend, and like, yeah, I I totally get it. Even though, like, watching, I'm like, yeah, this guy, this guy would be a terrible boyfriend and a terrible friend, you know what I mean? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

But it's interesting, as I got older, I did feel like I did feel like I learned a lot from watching Guy as a character. Because I rewatched this movie a ton of times, even once I was not obsessed with it, but I was like, oh, it's just a good movie. And you're right, Guy is I I feel like he's the kind of musician or the kind of artist that we should strive to be, you know? Yeah. I mean, I loved watching him love jazz music and that scene like where he's just go-I mean, it's weird. It's like weird how much he's into it, but you can tell this guy finds fulfillment in music and is passionate about it. And it was just so funny to me how like uh I I don't I don't remember the woman's name, the waitress, but who's actually Tom Banks' wife.

SPEAKER_03 12:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:32

Was like was like really just throwing herself at him, and he had he had no idea. And at some point, she she like had to be the adult and like let me take you home because you're drunk. And it's like again, again, what a magical story. Nothing bad happened to him in sit different situations that might have not gone like that, you know.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Right, and that that really does feel very, you know, like I didn't realize at first this was this was Tom Hanks' like directorial debut and all that stuff. And when you watch it with that context, you're just like this feels very much like something Tom Hanks would make. It feels like deriv not derivative of Forrest Gump, but like it feels like everything Tom Hanks touches does have that like feel of like it's all gonna work out. Like, yeah, it's a little scary right now, but it's all gonna work out, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 13:20

But uh I agree.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

But yeah, I I think that um, yeah, I just you know it's funny that you mentioned that you were um that you were so drawn to music, and I know that you you do play music and you you uh have done a lot of play a lot of different instruments and stuff. Do you find that it's the case that comedians want to be musicians and musicians want to be comedians? Because I find that to be more true than just an anecdote that people say.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

I I don't know, and maybe it's because I don't know a ton of I mean, I guess I know a decent amount of musicians, but I haven't ever really talked to them about comedy. I feel like for me, they were kind of two different stages in my life. When I was way more into music, comedy wasn't even a thought. And then by the time um because if you were asking me that the same question about pastors and youth pastors, because that's I've had a lot of um parallel time where I've been a youth pastor and a comedian, and I would tell you absolutely, you know, there's like something about doing stand-up comedy that all kinds of pastors and youth pastors want to get into, and I've had that conversation with them a lot. But with um, I do think what it is what a common draw for musicians and comedians is that being on stage and that performing, that sharing your art with everyone, that recognition of just being recognized and respected because you're doing something really well, and I think that's something we share. Um I is I but it's funny, I never once was a musician that wanted to do comedy because I I they just didn't really happen at the same time for me. So um I find though, but what I do find, uh, this isn't really related, but like creatively my brain can only focus on one. Like I'm either like really feeling like music or I'm really feeling like comedy. Like I'll have a creative outlook one way or another, but it's rarely where I'm doing both at the same time. Um so normally when I'm taking when I'm being like so actually I'm in a state right now where like I'm kind of having a hard time coming up with like new material for what I'm working on, but I'm also right now currently enjoying music a lot more. And so I feel like it kind of comes and goes, it's just my brain shifts, and maybe it's a guy thing because they say we we're not very good at multitasking or like No, I I get that.

SPEAKER_00 15:34

I I think that's really like really common too, because like I think that it's hard to have multiple outlets at once, too, because it's like especially when like especially for you, you you're coming out of being a full-time comedian, you know, for several years, and so now you're moving into like I I can imagine your brain, even subconsciously, is like, oh, I need a little bit of a break from this. How about I go to this other thing? So I still have an outlet and I still can get this out of me, but it's not I'm not struggling or trying to survive. I I'm not trying to paint you that you were struggling. I'm so sorry. That's not what I mean.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

Oh, no, it's all good. But it it there is there is an absolutely uh um, I'm absolutely feeling that in where like I don't feel the need to it's like it's like I was going to open mics all the time because it felt like I was working out or staying in shape comedically.

SPEAKER_00 16:18

Yeah. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

And I've not felt that for the past few weeks. I'm still you know intentional about trying to get books, books, not books like the reading, like trying to get booked on shows. I don't even have any any I don't even know if I know how to read anymore. Um but I um and so I'm still doing like the I don't know the business part of comedy and the the actual shows and stuff like that. But I mean like a few days ago we went out to dinner and my 10-day plan was doing open mic, and uh afterwards I was just like I don't want to, and I just didn't.

SPEAKER_00 16:55

But I think that's like well well deserved, well earned after after all of that, you know?

SPEAKER_02 17:00

Yeah, yeah. Um and it may change, I may get more motivated. Uh, you know, who knows? Maybe my new year's resolution will be like I'm gonna go to the open mic gym more. But yeah, or maybe it will.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

Yeah, and like you can't judge yourself too harshly either way. And I think I think it for you though, knowing you for as long as I have, which has been my entire comedy career, which I'm coming on coming on nine years in January. So I've known you for almost a decade. I think it'll pendulum it'll it'll pendulum swing back for you, I think, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 17:27

I see Courtney, you you're at nine years, I'm at like 12, 13, 14. I don't actually I kind of lost count and I don't want to do the math, but I think we're so I I think we're so far into it that they're like there's no turning it back at this point. We are we're there's not some people will quit and be happy forever, will quit and miss it and come back, and that's just oh I know.

SPEAKER_00 17:46

I'm like, yeah, I I think it's a difference between most of the members of The Wonders and then Guy, you know what I mean? Because Guy was in some capacity, you know. Uh which brings me to how did this movie, I think you've touched on this some a little bit already, but how did this movie affect you growing up as a kid? Did it like inspire your imagination or like your creativity? Like, what did it do to like how did it impact you?

SPEAKER_02 18:09

Uh it motivated me to to do music so much more. It motivated me to find the community in a band. And when I was in a band, uh this gave me like the dream of like what we could be. And so like, you know, the band I was and I was always like, we're kind of like the wonders and something like that, because like we're you know, it was a bunch of dudes as well, you know. Well we have we had one girl singer as well, but um, but um she was one of the guys. I don't know. Um I I know when I um when I when I first started playing drums, this that thing you do and that drum beat that he does was the first thing I learned. And uh even to the point where like I could do I had the um that scene where he's uh got a little bit of extra time in the recording studio and he's just doing the drum part, I did that a billion times. I like I would recreate that mode in my head when I was learning drums. Like it was weird watching it because I was like, oh, I I've seen this one scene a lot. Um and so I um but it just all the um it almost like romanticized for me what the music culture is or could be. So then in my own experience, I was like, this is kind of like this. It did kind of bring, it did kind of make build give me a safe space to build my ego a little bit where I'm like, uh even even as a comedian, but when I was a man, like, oh, I want to be the center of attention. And I think it's hard when I saw how cool it looked, you know, with the wonders and how they got their big playtone record, I was like, I want that. It gave me it gave it was the first place to give me permission to think maybe I want to do full-time entertainment, maybe I want to be something like this. And um, you know, in hindsight, it was the very start of me eventually wanting to be a creative and entertainer and stuff like that. It it was like pressing the buttons that I didn't even know I had to push, you know.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

That's that's amazing, Drew. That's beautiful. I'm like, what a wonderful thing to like mentally equate to a movie that you can always return back to. It's like like I uh uh audience. I was texting with Drew yesterday when I was doing the rewat the doing the watches and rewatches of the movies that he picked. And I I told you uh that I cried when they heard their song on the radio. Cause I'm like, God, that's just like that's so validating, and it was just so pure of like, oh my god, we're on the radio. And yeah, I started crying. It's like that's just like that's you have those milestones, you know, in your career as an artist, and that just like brought me back to some milestones that I've hit and that I hope to hit, and I'm sure the same for you.

SPEAKER_02 20:39

Well, and that was the fun part about watching it last night was um, you know, I I never had a point like that big where like your comedy single special or whatever becomes like uh something that the whole world experiences or whatever, but watching them get so excited about their first recording reminded me of the f when my first special dropped. Yeah, how excited I was to share it with my friends and stuff like that. Like, and there's all kinds of like little things like that where you're watching their creative journey, which again is like hyper-realistic and romanticized, and everything's going up perfectly. But when you're watching it, especially as an older entertainer, you're like, oh, you you can come up with little parallels in your own life. I really, I really I wasn't kidding when I said like, especially starting out in beginning comedy, I prayed that every crappy show I did, there'd be a Phil and Azar V out there ready to like come on and join. And you know, like even the little things like the I have I have a few for comedy, I have a few, like I they're loosely called TV credits, but like the show's never really aired. But like each time, each time these people reached out to me, like, yeah, we'd love to have you do 15 minutes on this thing that's gonna go on television. I there's a part of me that's like, is this my film, the RV moment? Is this it? Yeah, is this what starts? And I think it was because I think back to like that thing you do like, oh my gosh, this could be it.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

You know, yeah, dude, yeah, I totally feel you, and I could see that just being so ingrained in like, oh, this could be the moment because like that is also kind of like I know it was a very much idealized version of show business, but also like that does happen. Like, that's not and like you know, we have we you know uh audience, me and Drew live here in Nashville, and there's like you hear the the legends of the Bluebird Cafe where people play and then they're heard, and then they're country music stars the next day, and like that is like that's not an unreasonable thing where I I we we know people even in comedy who like right place, right time happen to be opening for some for or doing a showcase, and like the comedian the right comedian or manager was there, and now they're like blown up. Like I can think of like five or six people that that we you and I know personally that that that's happened to, so it's not uh not a ridiculous thing to think about, you know, especially with like entertainment is so unpredictable in that way.

SPEAKER_02 22:50

And I think for entertainers, you need to give yourself permission to to have the question, why not? You know, that that's something I've asked myself throughout the years so many times. It's what motivated me to like go pursue comedy full-time for a few years, where where I finally got to the point where I there were people I knew and had phone numbers in my phone that I was able to like go on Netflix and watch their specials. And I'd be like, Okay, if this is them, then why couldn't it happen to me? Why, you know, and I think I think for anyone pursuing full-time entertainment, for anyone pursuing getting bigger in their career as any kind of entertainer, uh a lot of like rational people, for lack of a better word, will be like, well, the odds of this are pretty bad. But like, if it's really what you want to do and it's really what's your what's fulfilling to you, you need to give yourself permission to have questions like, why couldn't this happen to me? If it's happening to other people, it could happen to me as well. Uh, because without that kind of like confidence, you're not gonna take the risks you need to make it happen. You'll still be uh if you don't do it, then you're you're gonna still be at your uh laundromat, your family laundromat with your dad. Also, this was another thing I noticed that I never thought about with this movie. Um the that dad was crazy. They gave that random him a random monologue there where like I I this time I really wanted like at the end of him griping about the the uh dryers from the other place. Uh I wanted like Guy's sister to look at someone and be like, yeah, he's never been the same since he's gotten back from war. Like, I just feel like we got so much, like, so much context for this this man that was like not a huge point of the movie, but like we get a scene where we just see Guy's dad just losing it.

SPEAKER_00 24:34

Like, dude, yeah, his dad was crazy, and the fact that he was like, well, well, I I get this was probably like a trope of like the 90s and stuff, like oh, kids who are working in their parents' stores or whatever, like their friends come in and bother them. But like he was so strict, like he couldn't even talk to his buddies that came in, you know what I mean, dude.

SPEAKER_02 24:51

Where it was just like where I was like, your dad you don't have customers, you know. It was he was so strict that even though I knew where the movie was going, part of me was like nervous for a guy when he walked out to talk up to Phil and his art. I was like, Can you just meet with your your dad like there? But what what they what what Tom Hanks did, and or whoever you know wrote the script, or I which I mean it was actually Tom Hanks, he wrote it while he was um I think it was his something while he was doing like a press tour for Forrest Gump. He was like, I'm he just got it he was got bored, but then he talked thing about how annoyed he was with stuff that he was doing. But like when he when he uh wrote in that kind of last scene with the dad where during their big when they were playing on TV and you saw the family watching it, and and that's when you could see how proud of his son he was. And that that went from it being a crazy not nice dad to like okay, he's crazy and he's uh he's something else, but he does care for his kid, you know.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

Right. Like, yeah, and it's very clear that like he just wants his son to have like a good life no matter what, and then seeing like, oh, this actually is a viable thing for him, and it's not just like a phase or a hobby or something, you know. Um, but yeah, like but yeah, the dad is crazy.

SPEAKER_03 26:02

So rare. I never noticed it until this watch. I was like, what?

SPEAKER_00 26:06

Oh, dude, and well, dude, even like the daughter being like, Am I gonna finally get paid now? He's like, Oh, you're out of your mind. It's like you're not even paying your daughter.

SPEAKER_03 26:14

Yeah, which you know when you think about how they like treated and talked to the women all in that movie, you're gonna be like part of part of it, you're like, Oh, that's sign of times.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

But I think even when I was watching the 90s and early 2000s, I wasn't picking up. I'm like, oh, that's that's bad.

SPEAKER_00 26:32

Yeah, well, that's actually pretty, pretty rude, honestly.

SPEAKER_02 26:35

Right. Um and then and then there was a there was another character that I I I had an unseen impact on me that I didn't think about until this watch through, which was I what I don't know, his name was like Leonard or Leroy or something like that. The the hotel manager. He wasn't even the hotel manager, he was like the valet parking guy. But it just this his whole thing, like uh you're you're at my hotel, let me take care of you. I'll you know, I'll send stuff to I work in customer service as long as I did, like, I'm realizing like I got the perfect view of how a good customer service employee should be. Um and the thing that really made me laugh last night when I at the end of the movie, um, you know, Guy and Faye become a thing, and they walk back in the hotel room, yeah, but they're checked out. And this is an expensive hotel. Do you think that that means like they're gonna go back to their hotel room and you know do their thing? But it's like I really wanted a scene for where Leroy or whatever his name turned around, like, hey, you guys can't go back in. You're you, you know, yeah, you're like or was he such a cool hotel guy that he was like, you know what? Go ahead and this room's not being used right now, go for it.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Oh god, yeah, you crazy kids. Go, go use this other room, right? Oh my god. Yeah, I because he yeah, because I'm watching that too. I'm just like, wait a minute, I was trying to put together like, so what is his relation to this hotel? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 28:02

He was dressed like just the valet guy, but like he's like, This is my hotel. I'm like, I don't think you're the manager.

SPEAKER_00 28:08

Like, I think you can make that call, buddy. It was yeah, that kind of tripped me up too. And I was like, it's there's something there's such a charm in some ways, in movies from like the 90s and even the early to mid 2000s, where like continuity and logistics, who gives a shit? You know what I mean? Because because the internet wasn't that big of a deal back then. And so, like, something like that definitely was like, Yeah, they're just like, Yeah, we'll just make him be all the things, you know.

SPEAKER_02 28:32

And just like, and this idea that all these service people will people, whether it was the bartender, was it whether it was the bellhop, whether they're all just nice and friendly and helping you have the best. And I think that's the world that Tom Hanks is wanting to build for this movie. It was a nice, happy, friendly, not like a you know, this it was just a happy, feel-good movie, you know.

SPEAKER_00 28:54

Yeah. At the end, yeah, at the end of the day, like, you know, I know it was like nominated for an Oscar for best original song, but like it, and it was well received by critics, but it is just like a fun, just a fun movie where it's like there's no the stakes are high, but they're not. Because I think because everything is so soft around the main characters where it's like, yeah, if it doesn't work out, you'll be fine. It's not like none of them are like super poor or like no one is like hoping for their downfall, you know, is as crazy as Guy's Dad is, it's it's still just like, well, you know.

SPEAKER_02 29:24

Yeah, he had a and you I you know what I think is something that did really well with the with the movie was because the the the little credit scenes where it tells are uh as the credits are going and it tells you which each person's it shows you kind of that they have their own happy ending. That was a great way because if they didn't have that scene, it would have ended with you you thinking like only Guy and Faye get a happy ending. What happened to everybody else, you know? Um yeah. But yeah, so that was again kind of a way to uh and and now as an adult watching this, as someone who just decided to not be a full-time entertainer, that was therapeutic in his own right to see, you know, that um Steve Zahn's character, Lenny, and the bass player who doesn't really have a name, although in an interview the actor was like, let's just call him what is Tobias was the name he's had to give the bass player, right? Um but those and how they they had a hap kind of happy ending. I mean, Lenny didn't get the girl, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

Um, you know. Yeah he can still be out, he can still have a good life, you know.

SPEAKER_02 30:26

He like opened a casino, like he's fine.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

He's very oh, he's very rich at this point. I'm sure he found I'm sure he found some some woman that would like a rich man that also thinks he's funny and cool, you know.

SPEAKER_02 30:39

Um yeah, absolutely. Or he has enough money where she's just fine with him being a guy with lots of money.

SPEAKER_00 30:45

So yeah, I mean, hey, there's a everyone has a different way of getting through the world, and I'm not gonna judge it unless it's hurting somebody else. But you know, then seem like they are. Um, I have another my my final question for you before we move on to your favorite movie. Uh, and I think I know the answer to this, and I think we all do, but just kind of in your own words, do you still love this movie and why do you still love this movie?

SPEAKER_02 31:07

Yes, I do. It I love this movie um because I think there's a lot of positive messages you can get out of it as a creative. I think it's it, you know, it's fun to show the like better than ever, like more it's unrealistic, maybe to an extent, or idealistic, but especially for young people watching it, like I don't know, and I don't know if they're gonna watch young people are watching 90s movies at this point, but like it does give you like a fun, feel-good, oh, happy ending. Sometimes nice things do happen in this world. Um, I think it's funny. I think each of the characters had their own quirks that that just it was just a well-done movie. Um, so I still enjoy watching it to have fun. But um also, and I we've I've said this a few different times, but like this is the mark for me of knowing that it's a good movie, is you know, I watched it at 10 or 11 and it had a profound impact on me, and I was able to watch it last night at 38 and uh in a different way, still found a lot of satisfaction through nostalgia, but also through like it hit me with a different message. And um, I don't I I think that's the beautiful thing about movies and and why people enjoy podcasts like this one, is that um uh the same movie can have a different impact on uh different people, and you can different people can get different things out of movies, and the real and that's true for the really good movies, is yeah, you can watch them again and again, and the captivating plot will give you something different. And um, and so that's why I think this I think this movie still holds up.

SPEAKER_00 32:39

Oh, well then well first off, thank you for saying that you know my podcast kind of helps people talk about those sorts of things because that's like that's the whole like one of the whole like like thesis statements of it, is just like revisiting these things and like some stuff doesn't really hold up, but like by and large, from like a lot of the guests from most actually from I think every guest I've had on their first movie does hold up, and it's like they they have a fondness for it beyond nostalgia, and I just think you know that really it's really cool because there's a lot of like sh shitty movies out there, you know. Right. But um, but I think that there's like I think also just being able to re revisit something and take something different out of it, I think that's really special. And this movie is like such a time capsule in a way, too, of like it, you know, it's like from the nineties, but it's like it's like uh mimicking like the 60s, I feel like 50, 60s almost, or maybe 60, 70s. Um so but it still just feels like it feels so like quintessential nineties, and it's such a nice like thing to have.

SPEAKER_02 33:32

You know, like when you watch it, you can it's definitely got some 90s, like I feel like we were just so happier in the 90s, and we just wanted to put positive messages out there, and like let's just make a nice movie, you know. And I nowadays I think if someone tried to make a movie like this, people would think it's boring. Where's the where's the conflict? Where's the problems? Why is everyone, you know, why did they all get a happy ending? Nobody died, you know. Like, like I think sometime in like the 2000s uh or like 2010-ish, we just decided we we just liked more grit and not fun stuff.

SPEAKER_04 34:07

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:07

And then the pandemic happened, and then we were like, we're terrible.

SPEAKER_00 34:11

Right. Well, you know what? And I'll say this because uh I'm gonna go on a limb here, and I'm gonna, I think you'll you'll definitely know uh I mean most everyone are gonna know the movies I'm talking about, but uh and I a director who has not come up on this podcast yet, but I think a shift happened with uh Christopher Nolan's Batman movies. Yeah, I just think that people were like, oh, we want we don't want the pow pow flash and funny and everything is good. It's like we want that grittiness because it feels more like real and more like highbrow art. Those are still blockbuster movies that everyone has watched and enjoyed, but I think I blame him basically.

SPEAKER_02 34:47

Those movies are so good, and and I think what what they captured, and I don't know if they did it so well that that's what started the movement, or if it was kind of already starting and and they just came out at the right time. But especially with superhero movies, we just got to the point, uh, or with superheroes in general, I think we just got to the point where like we were tired of the everything always is sunshine and rainbows, and they save the day with no consequences, because we were living in a world with tough existence, and we were looking for heroes that still save the day, but there were you could you could relate to them because it costs them something. And we we hit a really dark uh for a while, like you know, not just the Christopher Nolan uh Batman's with the Snyder where some stuff like that chose like the boys, you know, chose like Invaluable. Like you see a lot of these superhero series or movies where they're they're very human and realistic and seemingly authentic, where you're like, oh my gosh, that's you know, I can relate to that because I also have hurt my life. But I think you know, post-pandemic, I think people are wanting more like humored stuff. I think people are wanting to go to the movie and escape all the crappiness of the life. That's why, that's why we might get more superhero movies like the new superman, where it is a little bit more sunshine rainbows. And, you know, I I can uh from a comedian's perspective, when when we first started doing more clean comedy shows here in Nashville, um I was doing it just because it was in my lane. I didn't want to step in anyway, but what uh we would hear frequently from audience, they come back, and you know, this is like post-COVID, and they're just like, it's just so nice to come here and not be offended. It's just so nice to come here and just enjoy ourselves. Like so many people now are just looking for an escape.

unknown 36:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:34

And I think uh so movies like that thing you do. I think maybe I said maybe it didn't originally. I said maybe it wouldn't do as well if they made it today. But I don't know, maybe it would because people just like happy, peppy, snappy movies.

SPEAKER_00 36:46

Yeah, you know, and I'm gonna say make two points, and I think they're gonna be very valid points. Um, but I think maybe even pre-Christopher Nolan Batman at Whole Darkness, I think 9-11 is to blame for so many things. But I think people were like, because I think there's like this idealized version of like, oh, uh, yeah, we're in America and things are good and whatever, and kind of untouchable. I I mean, I was like barely cognizant in the 90s. I was born in the 90s and don't remember really any of it. Uh but I can imagine just from like inferring from like history and like stuff like that, that people had this sense of security where that that went away after all of that happened. And I think in turn that the art was reflective of that time. Um, and then but yeah, I I to your point about post-COVID, I think that's why like Ted Lasso was such a big hit and why Shits Creek got a resurgence. I think because people just wanted something. Those are I think those are on their own merit good shows, but I don't think they would have had the impact that they have now if they came out in like 2017, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 37:45

Because people be like, oh my god, yes.

SPEAKER_00 37:48

They're like, oh, it's too high. Like, I want Game of Thrones. I want and those are great. I love Game of Thrones too, but like there's a time and a place for those things. But I think, yeah, the new Superman great point that you bring up. Actually, I'm covering the new Superman with a mutual comedy friend of ours, Will Abel's, on a future episode. Oh, cool. That would be fun. That's his that's his favorite movie, and I'm like, that's really fun.

SPEAKER_02 38:07

I can't wait to listen to that episode. Uh dude, I'm still I don't know if it's have you recorded it yet, or is it coming out soon? Or are it okay? Well, I can't wait for when it comes out um after you record it. Uh yeah. What because in my brain, it's like, what a weird movie to be your favorite movie today. Um it was fine. I found it like average, like good. Yeah, but I I haven't rewatched it since it's come out.

SPEAKER_00 38:32

Same. And I think probably for some people, it definitely hits a certain way, like certain things or whatever. And I can imagine, like, you know, hearing anybody say, like, oh, this modern, this very modern movie is my favorite. Like, I'm talking to a friend of mine this coming week who his favorite movie is Sinners, the one that just came out this year. And I think great pick, but it's always interesting to see people reevaluate, oh, this is my favorite, this is why it impacts me. So I'm very excited to talk to Will about like this being his favorite movie, you know, Superman being his favorite movie. Because I think it's I I get I definitely get why people would pick it too, because it came out at such like a you know, it's like it was going up against Fantastic Four. We've talked about this. There was such a a time of like intersection for huge superhero movies, too, you know. And then that one just you know, James Gunn is amazing, and I think he just made a very specific choice to do what he did with that movie. And I think David Corn Sweat and Rachel Brosnhan are fucking great. I love Christopher Holt. Like I just thought, you know, I can see why that would be so much. It was a it was a great cast, yeah. So incredible cast, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:30

Does make me want to see where they I hope I you know, anytime you know, it's a whole like universe, like we're gonna make a new DCU, or it was like the MCU, like I just hope they keep making movies, stuff happens and then they just stop, you know.

SPEAKER_00 39:44

I know, which um which speaking of franchise I was about to say, let's the perfect segue into Drew Davis's favorite movie, which if you know him and you follow him, which I'm imagining if you're listening to this episode, you know what he's got going on. His favorite movie is Furious Seven, uh part of the Fast and Furious franchise. And for some stats, it came out in 2015. I can't believe it's been that long either. That's crazy. When I saw that.

SPEAKER_02 40:14

Like it doesn't feel like that long ago, but yeah, it did.

SPEAKER_00 40:16

No, I mean, I remember. Well, we'll get into it, but uh yeah, that felt that's uh super long, it's over a decade ago at this point. Uh directed by James Wan, who I believe directed quite a few of the Fast and Furious movies. He's kind of there well.

SPEAKER_02 40:30

Nope. Justin Lynn was the main director.

SPEAKER_00 40:32

That's uh oh, I'm just I'm just I'm just racist. Okay, gotcha. Okay, a different Asian man.

SPEAKER_02 40:38

So no, that it was uh yeah, uh it was interesting because uh James Wan was a very random director for this. Yeah, but but that he did great in this movie. And he does mostly horror movies, so like it's a great thing.

SPEAKER_00 40:54

I was gonna say I was gonna say, and that both makes a lot of sense with this movie, um, but also this movie, so directed by James Wan, uh starring the incredibly stacked consistent cast uh of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker in his last last role, uh Dwayne the Rock Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham. Um yeah, I mean this movie, like there's so much to say about it, too, uh that I have a lot of thoughts on. One, my cat loved it.

SPEAKER_02 41:19

Um I love the video you sent of him or her watching the movie. That was I was like, it's it's obsessed, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:28

Cat debating. Uh yeah, cat debating. Margot loves uh she loves Star Wars uh because of the lasers, and she now loves I think Furious 7, just like there's a lot of movement that she's like movement and explosions, and that's uh cats. There's just like dangling a little mouse in front of her, you know. That's fun. So she she loves it.

SPEAKER_03 41:48

Um I feel like I feel like me and your cat would watch a lot of the same movies.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

Oh, no doubt. I think there's a I think there's like a uh there's a bond there that I don't think her and I will maybe ever have, but I think you two.

SPEAKER_03 42:01

I've never seen the appeal of being a crazy cat lady, but now I'm like, I could maybe do that. That would be good company for movies.

SPEAKER_00 42:08

I was gonna say cats, like they're they're really chill, man. Like, I mean, she'll sit and watch movies with me, but she's definitely more like in tune with some than others. So she'll get up and walk around. But like Furious Seven, Star Wars, uh, she was just like, she was just fully on my lap for and these are not like by any means short movies, you know. I watched I did watch the extended version of Furious Seven. Uh to obviously, I wanted to make sure I got everything.

SPEAKER_03 42:31

Got the all the effect.

SPEAKER_02 42:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 42:34

Yeah, I didn't want to miss anything.

SPEAKER_02 42:35

You know, man, every time anytime a new Fast and Furious movie comes out, I will re-watch the entire series in a weekend. And uh I love that cat cat catch up, uh get myself back in the universe to like watch the new one. And it's and I've been doing it since Tokyo Drift.

SPEAKER_00 42:50

Like Oh, wow. So you've been you've been locked in for a minute.

SPEAKER_02 42:55

In my defense, when we were because I used to deal with a group of friends in high school, like we didn't think there would be like this many movies when we started. Of course. Because we we called it like uh it's a furious well, it used to be a furious night, and then it became really furious this weekend. And I I I do have hope I I had high hopes of creating a national holiday. I've actually researched it, and you only need like I think like$20,000. Or yeah,$20.

SPEAKER_00 43:21

I think I think you can pull that off. You have a full-time job now, Drew. I don't see why you're not in the world. I'm gonna start saving for it.

SPEAKER_02 43:27

I'm gonna have a personal, like a different account, and I'm gonna put money like a four instead of 401k. It's for my furious weekend. I would put it on the same weekend as Easter weekend because that's when most of the Fast and Furious come out. And so it would be really weird for there's a lot of people celebrating the Risen Lord, and then there'd be people having Fast and Furious marathons.

SPEAKER_00 43:46

Um But really, it comes down to that they're both about family. Um but so Drew, why is this your favorite movie? Like, there's some not even just out of the fear fa the F and F series, but like Like, why is this your favorite movie?

SPEAKER_02 44:02

So um there is the reason I we we can take it in two different directions. So uh in I I'll I'll put the on the back burners, I'll put why in the series is my favorite movie, and if we want we can talk about that. But um I am a I I love experiences that are tied to movies or music or or or even comedy shows. Like you or you remember like when something creative happens and it connects you to a part of your life or your experience. And so this is a special movie now for me because um uh Courtney knows this. I some people listening to my few years I had a Fast and Furious themed movie rewatch podcast where season one we covered Fast and Furious and uh seven when we did this episode uh in our it when we talked about it in our podcast, when we talked about Fear Seven, it was a very special episode. It was it felt like it was the best of our season. It felt it's still, I would still I would consider it one of the top three episodes that we did. Um at that I it just think our we had like we were like at this point, me and my co-host and our videographer, we were like a well-oiled machine at this point. Um, and that so when we're set, and and I have this uh visceral memory that I'll never forget, where when we were setting up and you know, Alan was getting all the camera things, we were having like a pre-discussion about the movie and Paul Walker and the death and the song See You Again. And uh me and my old co-host had like one of the most deep conversations ever about that, and it was all before recorded, and it was like really personal. So I even was like, Oh, can we bring this up for the podcast? And she straight up was like, No, no, let's just keep this one here. Oh, yeah, and so and like, but now every time I think about that movie, in addition to thinking, I mean it was a great episode, it was our our both of our favorites of the series, so we had a lot of fun talking about it. Um, the episode came out well, and it was one of the best, like most received ones that we did, like on YouTube, especially and stuff like that. But like I think about that like special moment I shared with my friends, you know, while we were setting up for the podcast. Um and then this movie in the series, I would say is the best of the series for a lot of reasons. So there's I don't know if you notice, Courtney, there's a lot of schools of thoughts as to when Fast and Fear should end. Some people are like, just after the first one, make it a one movie series is all it needed. Some people will say five because that seemed like a natural organic. They brought casts back, they ended with them, you know, getting away. That would have so uh six would have even been a good ending because it at the end of six, they make their way back to their old home in LA. They they bought they're they've been given their freedom back, and like they're literally their family barbecue is happening at the same place that the first one kind of ended. So it was our starting. So it's a real tie it together. But seven, seven was an amazing ending because one, it tied three back into it. The uh it was I mean, such a beautiful send-off for Paul Walker, and you could tell, and you could read things later when they actually confirm it. You can tell throughout all of seven, they were gonna wrap it up. They were doing a lot of ties, tie-ins to the first movie, a lot of quotes and callbacks, a lot of similar uh recording locations. Um, but then the problem is is it lit the movie literally did so well it broke records um it made them it it's probably number two for uh most money Universal Studios has ever made from a movie number one being Avatar. Um for a while it was number one, and so then they kept going, and you can see a tone shift when you watch eight through ten, you can see that it's completely but seven felt like this is the perfect place to end. They had and then of course you can't talk about Fear of Seven and not mention the amazing montage at the end and how graceful, how how gracefully they end uh they addressed Paul Walker's untimely death. Um they were so respectful to him, they were so respectful to his family. Um but, and this isn't to take away from that, they absolutely took advantage of the fact of the plot that he had, you know, he passed away. And that um I don't I don't know if you remember, I don't know if you saw this movie in theaters, I don't know if you were like a big fan of it at the time. You said you remember seeing it, but I I remember seeing it too, and I remember the hype, all the hype and excitement was you thought they were gonna kill Paul Walker's character off because he died in real life. But in the movie, they give you so many times where it looks like Brian O'Connor is gonna die. They know that uh like you think it's gonna happen, um, and it never does, and then the way they send him off in that montage scene, each each scene that he had with one of those characters was a significant moment in the series for the character, but it was also a significant moment for the actors working with so they were very intentional about which scenes they put in to the montage, and I don't know, I would put it as top top montage moments ever in cinematic history.

SPEAKER_00 48:59

So yeah, no, and I know that this movie was nominated for a goal for a couple of golden globes too, and I imagine I didn't look too much into it, um, but I imagine probably for the song and also like it it does feel I do remember them. I remember when he died, because I remember like I remember I was oh god, I mean I was like 20 it was 10 years ago, I was 22, and I was remember working in my day job at Trader Joe's at the time and like hearing the news. And like I was already a fan of the movies, but like a lot of my coworkers were also a fan. It was just like shocking because like that isn't like that almost felt like the domino effect of a lot of people starting to die, like around that time. I feel like just for like I know like Anton Yelnik, who was in the Star Trek movies, also died from uh a car issue as well. Like he got crushed by a car like around that same time, and uh it just was very strange. And then, but yeah, that was the big selling point for the movie. It's like Paul Walker's last uh appearance, whatever, you know. And then you watch the movie and you're just like, oh, like everything is fine, but like that's just like they're he's going his separate ways because he's doing from like he's doing making the a choice for him to like leave that lifestyle, you know.

SPEAKER_02 50:01

Because of course in in in Fast and Furious, anytime a character the closest they don't have death in Fast and Furious, the closest thing they have is a character will stop going on adventures to go raise their family. Death is when you go home and be with your wife and kids and raise your children.

SPEAKER_00 50:21

Maybe a metaphor. Oh, I wonder what they're trying to say. A metaphor, maybe seriously.

SPEAKER_02 50:25

In all ten movies and the spin-offs in the series, when when the kid when when they when when they never one dies, but when they leave, it's just when they go be with their family.

SPEAKER_00 50:37

Yeah, which is what an interesting universe to live in, where maybe that is like how in that specific universe, that's how they die, where it's like, oh, like you only exist in the binary of like you race and you save the world, but when you leave, that's like you like passing on, you know. I don't know. There's just there's a lot to think about with that.

SPEAKER_03 50:56

I don't know, but when Brian's like, I miss the bullets firing, everyone's like, that's not normal, man.

SPEAKER_00 51:01

Yeah, no, like that shouldn't be like maybe like a bunche jumping or something, like get that out of your system.

SPEAKER_02 51:07

I miss the fast horse, normal. I miss people shooting at me.

SPEAKER_00 51:11

Oh no, not yeah, that shouldn't be it, but like, but it was such a good conclusion where they could have ended it at that. And I think that's like you know, I think about the TV show Lost too in that way, where I think there was a four-season arc for Lost or whatever, but then it was so popular that they had to keep making more seasons. And I, you know, I'm not saying that they and same with The Office, you know, and Steve Cavell left like, oh, we could end the show, but it was at the height of its popularity on NBC, so they wanted to do at least for a few more seasons. Where I don't think it's bad that they continue to do these things, but it is interesting as an artist to see someone's like vision be like, well, this is where we could end it, and then being offered like a or being pressured by your studio being like, you have to keep making more. Like, that's such an interesting dilemma to be in as a creative, I think.

SPEAKER_03 51:53

Jimmy would have such a hard time with that from that thing you do if he was involved in the process of making more series movies.

SPEAKER_00 52:00

He'd be like, Oh no, I can't, I can't do that. He could he could not handle it.

SPEAKER_01 52:09

No.

SPEAKER_00 52:10

Um, so Drew, can you tell me about the first time you saw Fury 7?

SPEAKER_02 52:14

Yeah, so I am trying to remember which marathon it was. Uh so 2015. That would have been um, that would have been right when I had just moved to uh Covington, Tennessee. I'd started my youth ministry there, which I ended up being there for like six years, and then I also started um oh no, I am telling the wrong story. That's that's that's number eight. Let me back up. Number number, I'm sorry, they do run together at this point. I've had a lot of different thoughts. But I do I especially I do remember number seven as well. Um I was living, I was still in Nashville, I was living in New York. I saw it, had some friends over to watch it. But what I remember the most about that this movie is I won my first comedy contest after this movie. Uh and and and I think I might be going to hell because of it. But in that moment, I um I I did a very unjimming from one the wonders thing to do. I sold out to for success. And I uh so did you ever do Spanky's Bar and Grill? Did you ever do comedy at Spinky's Bar and Grill back when it existed?

SPEAKER_00 53:23

That was before my time. I think Spanky's was long gone by the time I started, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02 53:28

It that's okay. Well, I don't know if unfortunately, but that that's okay. Um that that's okay. But that that's where I that's where I got my comedy start. Uh I was too scared to to go to the East Room, so I would go to Spinky's Bar and Grill. Older people it was more chill. But one of the things they did at their comedy show every uh at their open mic was uh they did a little comedy contest, but they call it the funniest person in national comedy contest at the end of every open mic. Uh and the way it worked was after everyone performed, or at some point during the show, they told the audience would give them a recommendation. Like you they come up with the subject of a joke, and then every comedian that wanted to had the chance at the end of the night to give one last joke. Um and then whoever had the best audience picked joke uh was the funniest comedian in Nashville, and you got a fresca. And believe me when I told you, when I got my fresca, I held on to that thing for three moves. It did not make this recent move. I I it was I was like, I need to throw this, but I was such an area of pride. I'm like, I won a fresh fresca and an open mic. But the theme that they gave the week that I won, because it just happened in the news, was Paul Walker, because he had died. And so I I told a joke um that uh was funny enough uh that I won that night, and I was like, I'm going to hell for this joke, you know. But but but I remember that was connected to Furious Seven. Um, and I watched the movie with my friends, and we always did we always would watch, and this was I was still living here in Middle Tennessee, so it was friends that have probably been doing it since Tokyo Drift when I had a sleepover in high school and you know watch watch the movie. And so um we what we'd always do, what we always have done is we you know we'd marathon all the movies basically a big old Super Bowl party that lasts almost a weekend because of so many movies. Food, snacks, wings, all the people can come and go. I'm like staying the whole time watching third. I at one point I was looking at Facebook events, like it's a big deal. And then before we see the latest one, we all would go out to like a like we'd go to like a steak dinner, like we'd go and at whatever age I was at during 2015, it's probably like outback steak dinner. Yeah, steak dinner. Uh but we'd go there, we'd have a big dinner, hang out, enjoy ourselves. Everyone would usually come back for that and then go watch the newest movie, and that was like, and then we'd always be really tempted to speed home after the movies because you can't go see a Faster Fears movie and not really fast afterwards.

SPEAKER_00 55:51

No, of course not. That's amazing, Drew. Um, well, if there ever is another movie that comes out, please invite me and CJ and everyone who's been on your podcast. That sounds like a lot of fun, honestly, for like a weekend of watching. That's just like a movie marathon, you know?

SPEAKER_02 56:05

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 56:06

Yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 56:08

That was the plan for when Furious 11 comes out, Fast and Furious 11, but looks like universes are saying it's maybe not. So I hope it's a big elaborate, you know, conspiracy to make us not think that they're making another movie.

SPEAKER_00 56:21

But I mean, I again, like, I think Ben D Ben Diesel is too strong-willed with this stuff. Like, I just think like he's the reason why it's kept going. Like, but yeah, I don't I don't think you should worry too much, but also like who knows, you know, I think Universal would not turn away making more money, is all I'm assuming. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 56:41

Yes, but at the point, at this point, the cast that they have paying all those actors, you have to make money to be able to pay all those actors.

SPEAKER_00 56:49

Oh, I couldn't imagine having to pay Dwayne the Rock Johnson any of his fees at all, you know?

SPEAKER_04 56:55

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 56:55

Um, but I I wanted to go back really quick too, talking about James Wan. Uh you you know mentioned that he did mostly horror and music videos um before this. I think that it's very clear with this movie too, the way that it's shot, because there's this like element of like suspense that you are that like I think that the other movies have, but this one just really captures like a lot of just like you're like you are like holding your breath a lot more, even though you know it's gonna be okay. And I just think stylistically it just really does stick out from the other movies too. Like, there's just a different air of like uh there's like I don't know, there's a different it feels like like a like an auditor making like a blockbuster movie, and I because Furious 7 definitely sticks out for to me as one of my favorites too. I think that and Tokyo Drift are two of my favorites, because they're just different, you know.

SPEAKER_02 57:38

They're just different. Tokyo Drift could be the best standalone if it was the other movies kind of need each other, but Tokyo Drift, but it was the first and maybe debatably only Fast and Furious movie that has a plot. Um like a beginning and middle and end in character development. Uh you could argue Fast 1 and Fast Two if you put them together. You see Paul Walker's character development both as an actor and a character. Um but by itself, Tokyo Drift is the only one that has like the normal movie things, like plots and scripts and stuff. Yeah. But but I agree with what you're saying about Furious 7. One of the things they did very well. I think uh the a lot of the earlier Fast and Furious did this well, but like but James Wan did it particularly well in Furious 7, is like each chase or action sequence is almost like telling its own plot. Like I think that's the mark of a good car chase, and this is something that uh most of the Fast and Furious's do well, is that like it's not boring to watch. It's not like the same thing. You it's holding your attention with whatever's happening, whatever crisis they're having to deal with. Like it takes you on a literal ride. And yeah, uh, and there was all those action sequences in Furious 7 did did it well.

SPEAKER_00 58:54

Um I agree. Yeah, I agree with that because I was talking to another friend of mine not that long ago about like fight seek like like sword fighting on like fight sequences where you can get a lot out of a character and like their training or lack of training, they're like the way that are they more reserved or are they more like a fiery attack? Like I use the example of uh the in the reboots of the Star Wars movies, The Force Awakens, watching Kylo Ren and Ray fight in the woods, where it's like she is fully like swinging, she doesn't know how to wield a lightsaber where he's much more classically trained and like a lot more like like waiting her to attack so he can like respond.

SPEAKER_01 59:25

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 59:26

And that just like tells you so much about these characters and like where they're at. And I think the same thing with the chase scenes in Furious Seven, where it's like you get the relation to this because like you're basically watching this guy stalk a group of people, and like he knows their every move, he knows their weaknesses, and watching how he attacks and how he like employs his attacks on each person, it's different than the last one, it'll be different than the next one. And I just got so much. I was like, this is really like masterful storytelling in a way that you don't necessarily absorb, but you're like, oh, he is doing things differently with his goons or who or himself than he would do with Paul Walker versus Vin Diesel or or whatever, you know what I mean? And I just think that's really just like really cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:06

Even the fight scene between uh Jason Satham and Vin Diesel, like the way that you can see the how their characters are dictates how they fight, you know. Yes, uh Jason Satham's very methodical and tactically trained as he's using windshield wipers as a weapon, which isn't a thing, but they fast fears isn't used logic to but like I I I remember when I watched that the the not this last time, but the time before when I rewatched it, I was I I turned to my friend and was like, I don't think windshield wipers work this way in real life. They do in Fast and Furious. Uh and then you know Vin Diesel, of course, is using like wrenches and like street fighting and like stuff he picked up through being an illegal street racer and is somehow able to stand toe-to-toe with an undercover spy. Um the movie ends in a the fight ends in a classic Fast and Furious fashion where he just steps on the ground really, really uh hard and it it falls apart engulfing Jason Single. Uh because he's been diesel and he's basically a superhero at this point in the series.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:05

Right, right. And an audience, uh Drew has a joke about many jokes about Fast and Furious where he talks. I don't remember which what which one it was where you talk about how the rock can like move a torpedo like or like move a helicopter in the air, like but like that, and that's just like that's somehow realistic in this world.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:22

Yeah, it's I I I and that's why I watch them all before I watch the newest ones because you have to get sucked back into this world. There gets to a point where your brain just tells you when you're watching enough Fast and Furious movies, oh yeah, if someone's following a call, our car can catch them. Like that's like like I've when I've watched these movies at this point, and when I'm at seven, by that point, when they catch someone's car, I literally have turned to my friend before I'm like, Oh, thank god there's a car there. Which isn't like but and in this movie the rock flexes out of a cast. I think that's pretty he uses he he uses it throws an ambulance uh at a drone to stop it, and he has classic lines like Woman, I am the Calvary, and like Yeah, yes. That was I did one of the things uh we talked about when we reviewed this movie in my podcast was uh so it I liked The Rock in Fast Five. I thought he was a great addition to the plot. I felt like they had way too much of him in Fast Six, like he was annoying to me in Fast Six. But Fast Seven, they fixed that because they had him at the beginning and at the end, and with just some easy Hobbes dialogue. But we didn't get him for most of the movie, and for me personally, that's plenty. Like it just that character. Yeah, I I like him when we now now he was he was good in you know, Hobbes and Shaw, where like it was it was but like when you have all these character roles, you gotta kind of figure out I gotta figure out how and what they did with later movies is they just kind of throw in so many characters, and you don't there's not enough time for the individual characters that you've been growing with for I've been literally living my life since high school. You don't get as much a quarter mile at a time. Absolutely, they don't get as much time to shine because everyone's gotta have a moment. But you know what? Like some of these characters just need a few important moments and then leave it there.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:09

So I think that's it too. And I feel like, yeah, I agree with you on the assessment of The Rock's usage in these later movies because it's always weird when you add in a new character in a very established series where it's like you want to watch Vin Diesel, you want to watch Michelle Rodriguez, you want to watch Paul Walker, because you've been with them for so long. And when you throw in this other person, and I get The Rock is like the biggest movie star right now in the world, it's like, oh, we'll use more of him because people seem to like him, you know, with good reason. But it's also like, well, okay, but now I have to really care about this person too, when there's already other stuff going on. And so I see, yeah, he was perfectly used in this, but then with the absence of Paul Walker, I see how they kind of moved him and some other characters in to like fill that void that really was never, in my opinion, fully replaced, you know, because I feel like Brian is like the I think he's the I know that Vin Diesel, this is like these are like his movies, but Brian is like the heart of and soul of these.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:59

Brian absolutely was the heart of it, and but you did see a tone shift in the movies when in by Fast Five, Vin Diesel becomes the main star, which is ridiculous because Brian was in more and like he was the main character.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:09

And yeah, because Vin wasn't even in the second one. Vin wasn't in the second one.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:13

No, he turned it down because he was doing Reddit and he didn't think there was much fit future for Fast Fears. Smartest thing he did for his career though is when they wanted him to do Cameo and Tokyo Drift, he said, sure, if you put me as a director credit going forward. Uh which which they did, and that gave him his golden goose for, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:33

I mean he's very rich. They have like uh, you know, they have I they have like obviously Universal Studios has the infamous ride in Florida, which is not very good, but then they're building a roller coaster of which it should have been a fast uh roll fast and fury should be a roller coaster ride.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:48

Yeah, that's a good that's a good idea for it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:50

Yeah, so they're building one in uh Universal Studios Hollywood, which I'm I think is supposed to open in like 2027 or maybe even this year. Looks awesome. But uh, so I mean like he's probably giving me some back end residuals from all of that too, I'm sure. So he's very, very rich, you know.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:05

Yeah, he's yeah, he's doing fun. He has his own island. He has his own island where he's in a recording studio. Uh someone came up to me after the show when I did talked about Fast and Furious and Vin Diesel, and uh because we're in Music City, people here have music connections, uh and apparently their brother was did something for one of his that he has two tracks you can find on Spotify if you it's like a reggae, it's they're not very good if I'm being honest. But like you can find Vin Diesel music on Spotify. And one of these, this person who came up to me, his brother did something, whether it was whether mixing or I don't know what, and she said that Vin Diesel flew him to his private island. This was during COVID times, to like mix up and make the uh make the song. So that's that's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:51

Uh yeah, I I mean you can't be good at everything, you know. You can't you can't stomp the ground and end a fight and then also be like a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:00

Musician. Yeah. So although now we need a crossover. Vin Diesel fills the spot for the uh wonders and that they need to. I would love that.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:11

Because Jimmy's out, Jimmy's gone, so Vin Diesel can do the new guy.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:14

Yep. Bring Wolfman back. He was the bass player for a little bit, and then Lenny can take a break from running in a casino. And guys already. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:23

Yeah, guy's already ready. And like and Liv Tyler will be there from all support, you know. Um that but with that being said, that leads perfectly into my next question, which is what are the correlations you see between these two movies, if any?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:37

Well, the most obvious one for me, and I is uh it's cheating because it wasn't Furious 7, but Charlize Therone was uh is the main character in the Furious Frust Furious franchise by eight. She's the main villain in eight, and then she's a side villain kind of a nine and ten, and she was this terrible girlfriend in that thing you do. And I like to pretend now that this was Cypher before she went all bad and hacker-like. Things didn't go well with Tina and the dentist, and she made a complete identity change and became a villain hell bent on taking the world down digitally. Um, but um I an another thing uh I learned about was that both movies were tributes to uh uh deceased actors or directors. Tom Hanks had a friend who I don't know if he was involved in that thing you do, but he did pass away, so they dedicated the movie to him. And of course, uh Furious Seven was dedicated to Paul Walker. Um an I I don't this one this one's a bit of a stretch, but I really tried my best. Um for both songs have like are both movies have like iconic songs that are attacked to them. So that thing you do, obviously that thing you do, and then Furious Seven, uh see you again. Um those are um and then the last one I can think of, it's and it's so obscure, it's not even that important. But um, of course, you know, there's all the cars in Fast and Furious and Furious Seven, and then there's Phil and then there's R V.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:05

I like it. No, I like it.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:10

I I no, I like all the I thank you for first off giving such a thoughtful answer, too, because I feel like I sometimes catch people off guard with this. So I'm thankful that like you know, you you know, like you you had a lot to come with, so I really appreciate that. Um, for me, I I agree with all of those. I definitely think that like both movies really live well in their own universe. They're on Earth, they're in, they're in, you know, they're in the world that we live in, you know, but they're in their own separate universe that does not exist where we live. And I think that you know, it's partially like the world building, but they're also stylized in such a way that I think is I think is really cool, where it's like, yeah, this is planet Earth. This is like this could be anyone's town or anyone's city, but it's just like but it's not, and I think that's really cool the way that they they they're able to like contain all of that in a way that feels like tangible, but like you are like this is like a different, like this totally different like timeline than than what we're living in. And I think um I think just that you know, like the yeah, I think that's definitely the big one. And I think um this one might be a stretch, but I see some similarities of Paul Walker and Guy or or Brian and Brian and Guy because they're both in this one place of like domesticity, and they're like, I'm cool with this, whatever, but they're still itching. They have that tug of like, man, I really want to be a jazz musician, I really want to play in a band.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:28

That's a good point, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:29

Yeah, yeah, or I really want to be shot at, you know, like whatever.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:33

Yeah, they're both living lives that they're unsatisfied with uh and looking for different forms of adrenaline. One's a little bit healthier than the other.

unknown 1:09:43

Right.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:44

So that's the yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:46

There's also a dichotomy um in that, of course, you know, all the memes and and I do love this about Fast and Furious House about the family motif of the people that aren't related to you, but they become your family. So you shared it, shared experience and stuff like that. And that was why growing up it was such a big deal for me, since I didn't have a wonderful family, like real family, uh biological family, but like my friends and the people close to me, they became my family, and then we all started robbing uh DVD players together, just like in Fast and Furious. Um but so whereas there's that family connection Furious Seven, uh, you could almost argue that if they had had a more connections, the wonders would have stayed together. If you know, yeah, there's a lot that there was a lot of dissension that happened and it started happening piece by piece, starting with the bass player leaving for the army, and he found you know what kind of connection do you have with a band where you abruptly leave to go to Disney World with you know the army? Uh you know, let Lenny found his connection in just the hot woman and you know you know went out with her to Vegas, and then Guy and Faye never really had a connection. Well, excuse me, they had a connection. Jimmy and Faye never had a connection. Um, and then also you know Guy was part of it because he he he was a drummer, but he kind of just joined in and he wasn't really part of the band until he actually because of him, they were able to be super successful.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:14

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:15

Can you imagine? I wonder how I wonder how annoyed the original drummer was when he had to go back and get Guy's job.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:22

Oh, right. You know, well, even with him like watching the talent show where he's just like, oh, like what? Like he just then someone bumps someone bumps into him and it hurts his arm and stuff, and I'm like, yeah, like maybe don't be stupid and like jump over stuff. Right, absolutely, you know, but that band, but they would never have been successful without guys speeding the tempo up, you know what I mean? Because they were playing it very much like a ballad, like so yeah, it was so slow and boring.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:48

So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:49

But man, no, I yeah, I and I agree with you about the song as well, too. Like both movies have an iconic song that I think supersedes both movies in their own way. Because like I definitely have heard the song That Thing You Do a ton of times. You know, I was a fan of Fountains of Wayne, as you know, pop punk kids, we you know, fan of them. Stacy's famously for Stacy's mom, but they've written a lot of great songs. Yeah. Um, so like them, and then like, you know, uh so I I knew that song before I knew the movie, and then definitely heard that song See You Again everywhere. Like when that when before I saw the movie, that was just like that was like a top 40 hit, you know what I mean? So I think in some ways both songs have outlived the movies that they come from, which is yeah, which is like kind of a rare thing these days. A lot of times movies, I don't know, I feel like a lot of movies don't have songs done by the are either the people in the movie or like a specific song for the movie that like really supersedes it, you know? Uh so that is like a cool connection as well. Um, but yeah, those are those are awesome, awesome points.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:49

Very cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:50

Um so Drew, I have two more questions for you, and they're rapid fire, but answer them at your leisure, you know. Like I mean, I don't don't don't I don't want anyone to feel freaked out on here. Um, so for both movies, if you had to recast both movies with all Muppets but keep one human being in each movie, who would the human be in both movies? Who would you keep okay?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:11

So in that thing you do, we would absolutely keep Tom Hanks, but we would make the whole band and everyone else Muppets and him in that locker room scene talking to the Muppets, you watching the Muppets on the play the instruments. I think that would be fun. The Muppets on the when they were filming the Hollywood movie and they were all dressed up as sailors, that would be cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:31

Yes, oh my god, yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:33

I would I think it would be fun, and this is this is this this is an obscure, like I'm picking a minor character to keep uh as the uh but Ramsey was introduced in Furious Seven. I would keep her as a human, and then everyone else has to be Muppets. Vin Diesel Muppet, Paul Walker saving her as a Muppet. Like I think that what a tone shift in the movie. The rock breaking out his gas as a Muppet.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:59

Like that that's Yes. I I would want I would want Miss Piggy as The Rock. That's the thing. I think that's her perfect, like just like watch her, just like break out.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:13

I think that would be that would be perfect casting. Uh I think that's I think I think Kermit Kermit as Vend Diesel would be.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:20

Oh yeah. Oh, you know, I live my life a quarter mile at a time. So into that. And uh what is your for my final question? Uh, what is your go-to movie, snack and drink? At home in the theater, what do you gotta have?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:36

So at at home, I'm a big fan of uh a bottle, like IBC cream soda, like a with a like not just like a bottle of it, and then like hot and spicy cheeses. That's like I think I think I actually that was exactly what I ate when I watched that thing you do last night. Um and that's like it's like it started when I was younger, and uh, or so most so in college, when I was watching new episodes of Smallville, that was always like we would have enough of those in the dorm for everyone because I would I would have Smallville watch parties and we would do and that that was my favorite snack, cheese, cheez-its and cream sodas. And then when I go to the movies and it just comes from it's what I always got even as a kid, uh I would I'll get a large popcorn. The butter is incredibly important. Um I think there's extra jewels in heavens for the movie theater attendants that like put the a little bit of popcorn and then butter and then a little bit more of and then like once you just put it over the top. I I hate them and I don't even know them, and I get so judged when they do that in the movie. Like they're practically ruining my movie experience. Um, but but I don't let it completely ruin it. But it's a tough start. Um, so I like a very buttery popcorn and then like a Mr. Pibb, and it has to be Mr. Pibb. I'm normally a Dr. Pepper guy, but in the when you're watching God designed Mr. Pibb to go with popcorn when you're watching movies. I I think that's in the Bible somewhere.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:04

I think so too. Like, like uh like AMC 315 or something like that, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:11

That's exactly it, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:12

Yeah, re uh Regal, regal first regal 2025, you know, like that's like yeah, those are the that's 2025, which is how much they charge for popcorn now. Yeah, honestly. It's in the it's in the uh what is it, the message? Is that like the one where it's kind of a cool I had one of those Bibles growing up? I was like, oh, it's kind of paraphrased from like the Bible, and I was like, this means I'm like this means I'm kind of a cool kid, you know. So it must be in the message, I'm sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:38

I hate that my Bible college knowledge that's me know that that's technically a transliteration and not a translation. And I hate that I know that those are words that exist.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:46

No, no, I mean I'm there. I was like, I was very over happy carrying around my precious moments King James Bible with a little wham on the front that I was like, I need something cool, and that's what I Bible being cool. Yeah, I need to be cool. So that was yeah, so the message NIV, you know, too basic for me, so I had to have to go. Anyway, uh, we should do a Patreon of just like what type of Bible do you want to get a lamb?

SPEAKER_02 1:17:15

Tell me the kind of Bible you you use, and I'll tell you everything else about you.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:19

That's like that's like the very Christian version of like astrology.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:24

Oh my god, Drew, you couldn't.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:25

You're such a new living translation. That's I that's a bit. I haven't tried that out.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:31

Yeah, I think you I think that's for you. I think that's something you gotta work on.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:34

That is what I I will work on that and I'll let you know how it goes. Because I really I really think the starting line of the bit is like Christians are into astrology, but we will have opinions about what kind of Bibles you use.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:45

Yes, and it and it's like if someone has like a new Gideon Bible from the hotel, you know that they're poor. Like basically, like they stole it from a Motel 6. Like they don't like they they didn't go to Lifeway Christian bookstores and get themselves a nice Bible with like a parody t-shirt, you know? And yeah, I think there's something there for see. This is like why you're this is why this is good. And uh, yeah. But um, Drew, before I let you go, um, can you tell the people where they can find you and what you got going on?

SPEAKER_02 1:18:13

Absolutely. Uh, and also thank you so much for having me on this podcast. This has been a blast, uh, so much fun. Great excuse to rewatch two of my favorite movies. And so um appreciate being on here. So uh everyone listening, you can find me um on any kind of social media, on YouTube. Um, my favorites are Instagram and and Facebook and YouTube. I guess I'm on TikTok as well, uh, at Drew Davis Comedy. Uh that and that'll connect you to all my other stuff, my sites. I do a lot of other things. I run a group called the Clean Comedy Collective that produces clean comedy shows in Middle Tennessee and all across the nation, actually. Uh, and then uh I use I I have a podcast that is completed now. It's a quarter mile podcast. But if you're like, wow, what are more thoughts about Furious Seven coming from Drew Davis? We that's an episode we have in season one. Um and Courtney has been on three of our episodes. She reviewed The Italian Child with us with Charlie's Thorean. And she also reviewed Twister and Twisters that um I uh uh we vaguely mentioned David Corn Sweat, and he was in Twisters. We do, and so yeah, and so so there's some episodes there you might want to check out. Um I, if you're in the Nashville area, I produce a monthly show every last Thursday of the month in Sweetwater's Coffee and Tea in Lennox Village in South Nashville, which is the forgotten part of Nashville. But we're there and we do comedy. It's right next to a Blue Coast Burrito, and we also you also get deals. If you go to the show, you can get deals with Blue Coast Burrito afterwards. So, um, but yeah, that's that's kind of vaguely what I have going on. Just just doing some local stuff right now, trying to figure out how to balance stand-up comedy and a full-time job. You know, you know that struggle well, Courtney, and but we're we're making it work.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:51

Yeah, we're making it work. We're living life a quarter mile at a time. Yes, we are truly inching our way towards 2026. That is the truth. Um, well, Drew, thanks again for doing the show. And audience, thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week. This has been Core Memory, a podcast about movies, and I'm your host, Courtney Warner. Thank you so much for listening to today's episode. Uh, please feel free to like and subscribe on anywhere that you get your podcasts. Uh, would absolutely love the uh the support on there. If you enjoyed today's episode and any of our other episodes, also we are on Instagram at Core MemoryPod. Please feel free to give us a follow on there as well if you want any behind the scenes tidbits or any kind of fun visuals on there. Uh, and again, thank you for listening, and we hope that you'll listen again soon.