Have You Seen?! The Movie Podcast

Bug Spray and Blockbusters

• Roll Credits Studios • Season 1 • Episode 2

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A galaxy on a cat collar, a roach in a skin suit, and two agents who turn deadpan into an art form—our take on Men in Black digs into why this 90s sci‑fi comedy still lives rent‑free in pop culture even as its plot wobbles under scrutiny. We trade first impressions—one of us is a first-time viewer—and unpack that friction between unforgettable chemistry and a story that leaves key beats off-screen. Will Smith’s looseness sparring with Tommy Lee Jones’ dry precision lights up the frame; Vincent D’Onofrio’s physical performance makes “Edgar” a villain you can’t ignore; Rip Torn’s Zed anchors the agency with a voice many of us knew from the theme park long before we met him on-screen.

We pull back the curtain on practical effects, animatronics, and oversized props that sell the illusion, from goo bombs to the neuralyzer close-ups. The MTV-era marketing machine turns out to be a character of its own—music video dominance, radio airplay, and the kind of summer blitz that doesn’t happen anymore. Then we go where the movie doesn’t: the scrapped diplomat storyline that would have sharpened stakes and clarified “Orion’s belt,” how the final marble gag aims for cosmic perspective but undercuts emotional payoff, and why this world begs for an X‑Files‑style series exploring cold cases, gray ethics, and the lives erased by a flash of light.

Along the way, we note what’s aged well (tight set pieces, witty recruitment tests, tabloid-as-truth satire) and what hasn’t (a morgue gag that feels off today). We land on a split verdict for rewatch value: comfort background viewing for some, a once-and-done for others, with broad agreement that the buddy dynamic is the engine that keeps it running. If you love 90s blockbusters, practical creature craft, and movies that shaped the zeitgeist, this one’s worth the conversation—warts, worms, and all. Hit play, then tell us: classic or just classic marketing? Subscribe, share with a friend who quotes “the best of the best,” and leave a review with your MIB rating out of 10.

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👥 Hosted by: Dylan & Joe

👉 Got a classic you think we should cover? Send us your movie suggestion!

Dylan:

Hey Joe, could you pass the sugar in water? Yeah. Welcome to have you seen the movie podcast where every movie is a premiere. This week's movie, Men in Black, is rated PG 13. So if that's not suitable for little ears, we hope you tune in next week.

Joe:

We're sitting up for one of the most iconic sci-fi comedies of the 90s. And yes, Dylan had never seen it before.

Dylan:

Yeah, I don't know how I was able to miss this one. It's definitely more of my time.

Joe:

Yeah. Yeah. 90s, um, you know, summer of 97. Uh, Will Smith had already done Independence Day. Um, he didn't want the story goes, he didn't want to do another alien movie. Oh, really? Yeah. Well, he failed on that one, didn't he? Yeah. So uh he he held off and then finally gave in to it.

Dylan:

Yeah, but I mean, say the the blend between like the sci-fi and comedy was definitely definitely done well. So definitely big kudos to the to the writers on that one. Quick plot rundown. We have an NYPD cop that gets recruited into a secret alien monitoring agency. He gets partnered with a grumpy veteran and saves Earth from a giant bug. Joe, I'm not a big fan of bugs.

Joe:

Yeah, you if you're not a fan of bugs, you're not gonna be a fan of this movie.

Dylan:

Yeah, it's definitely not high on my rewatch list.

Joe:

I will spoilers for the end of the pod, but yeah, it's definitely buggy. So first reaction?

Dylan:

Yeah, it's I think it was a decent watch, but like I definitely would not go out of my way for a rewatch. What was what was the bug guy's name? Ed Oh Edgar?

Joe:

I didn't know there was gonna be a pop quiz. Yeah, it was Edgar. It was Edgar. He pretty much called him Edgar because that's who the host's name was.

Dylan:

Yeah, but like he he definitely did a good job acting the part. And I don't know, maybe for me it was a little too good of a job acting the part because there was definitely definitely times where it was disturbing isn't really right, but it was definitely off-putting. Yeah. So but his he definitely has like parts in there where he definitely plays it just right. And then like to me, there's other parts that's just it's just too much.

Joe:

Yeah, yeah. I mean it it's the thing about that movie is again that Will Smith was was writing high on The Fresh Prince. Yeah, he had um it it kind of boosted his career again to to do the men in black. Um and that song is you know, simply forget me not. It's an oldie, and so he took that, did a did a sample, and then you know, this is the men in black. Um and and like it was just it was one of those times that we don't I don't feel like we have anymore. Yeah. Where when you did a movie you had a good soundtrack or at least a decent soundtrack to push it to to videos and to get it MTV. Right. And so like the whole experience of coming from, you know, when we talked about Jaws to the 90s, you go from the 70s to the 90s to where it's an epic event in the summer. Yeah. And I mean you you see the uh the actors going on these huge press releases and doing entertaining while they're doing it.

Dylan:

Yeah, which you definitely don't get anymore.

Joe:

Yeah, it's just it it was so I think I mean the internet was coming along and everything, but there was just so much more pomp and circumstance, if you will, behind the opening of a movie as compared to to now, where it just it's not like that. And so the you know, everything that went into it um for the summer was just right there, you know.

Dylan:

Yeah, yeah, for sure. And like the just like the chemistry between like Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, like you know, Will Will Smith is all you know kind of bouncy and funny, and then Tommy Lee Jones is just just so uh he's just uh has such that southern dry yeah humor, and it's just so good.

Joe:

And yeah, the whole you know, he had to stay as dry as possible, right? So that Will could just you know just be just eat it up, yeah, just eat it up, and um, you know, it's funny because Tommy Lee in the director's eyes was um was the guy, you know, yeah, and uh the director said him and his wife were reading the the script and and one of them said Tommy Lee and the other one said Will Smith. And so like they they pursued that, but in the in the midst of it all, like being the 90s, yeah, friends was huge, and so um uh the guy who played um Ross in in Friends, uh David Schwimmer was offered the part and he turned it down. Um who knows why? Yeah, you know.

Dylan:

Um probably definitely missed that one, yeah.

Joe:

And and there was a couple other actors the um uh that came up for the role, yeah. And uh some of them didn't want it because they felt like it was a part that um you know they had played before and they didn't want to do it again.

Dylan:

Yeah, more of like a like a juvenile role, yeah.

Joe:

Yeah and so they didn't they didn't want to get typecast, so they chose not to, but uh Will finally relented.

Dylan:

Yeah, yeah.

Joe:

Um and and speaking of like some of the actors in there uh so when you look at the cast, when you look at it from this perspective, you're like, ah, you know, they're they're they're playing these bit parts. And it's kind of like taking these huge actors and then putting them in these like small roles all together into a you know a cast of you know just a um a joint cast, yeah. So they're playing off of each other and and it there's not one like you know, I think obviously for that time they were pushing Will Smith as the big star of the movie, right? But Tommy Lee has so much, you know, has had so much credits uh you know before that, but Vincent D'Nafrio he was in um Full Metal Jacket, and that was a huge part. It was like one of the pivotal characters in that movie.

Dylan:

Oh, really?

Joe:

Yeah, and so he had he had a great career and takes this part of a basically a a roach inside of a man, right? And so it's like it's it could be when you look at it, it's such a good role, yeah, and he does such a good job that it seems beneath a quality actor to take that, but because he's such a good actor, he could act with these appliances on his face and look like the undead the whole time, you know. So um, and and Rip Torn, yeah, he's from Texas as well, and so Rip Torn and Tommy Lee just play these, you know, uh very dry humor, very Texan, uh straight lace, you know, this is by the book, right? Yeah uh type of guys, and and so they played off of each other, and you know, that just made it great. There was a rumor that Linda Florentino actually got the part because she lost a poker bet with the director. Oh really? So they they've both have have had different stories on that, so it can't be confirmed, yeah, but that's why she did what she did.

Dylan:

And like, was the was the coroner like was it a more of a different role like in the script? Because I feel like it's I felt like in the movie it kind of missed its mark. Like she tried to, you know, be a little more on the kooky mysterious side, and like it just I don't know if it was just the way it was written or what, but like I felt like it kind of just missed that mark with me. So you're saying she had a Queen of the Undead vibe? Yeah, yeah, like like tried to, but like also on the same hand, like kind of missed it. Yeah, and so like it it didn't really make it quirky, it didn't yeah, like it just made it weird and not in the weird kid fashion, right?

Joe:

And it's a hard role because like was she playing it to act like she her brain had been fried a couple of times, you know, because like every time they reset.

Dylan:

I yeah, I guess I didn't consider that in it.

Joe:

Because like she like you notice she even comes into the um when is it the thread?

Dylan:

Like right at the beginning, yeah. She comes in and is like what does she say? She's like, I believe you. Yeah, I believe you.

Joe:

Yeah, come and meet me at the you know, blah blah blah. And then and then like then she gets, you know, then she gets fried. And so then that's true. Yeah, so like it's almost like she had to reset each time, and it was difficult to like you know, so she had to play that. And right, so yeah, it's just a hard part to to kind of get, but I I get where you're coming from, yeah.

Dylan:

Yeah, and then like also like going off of like character actors and stuff, like like Riptorn as Zed is such like the his voice is so I guess kind of I'm gonna say iconic for the role because I I honestly think this is the first movie I've seen him in.

Joe:

Okay.

Dylan:

And like also from going to like Universal Orlando a lot, uh-huh. Is that the same voice in the Men in Black ride? I'm pretty sure it is. Yeah. Okay. So like from riding that ride a lot of times, and then like actually watching the movie like later on after the fact, it's so funny because then I'm like thinking back in my head, I'm like, oh, okay, that's where that comes to play. And like starting, you know, in the ride, you start off in the training room, uh-huh, you know, that like Will Smith was in. Yeah. And then like, you know, in in the story of the ride, then the the what what is it? A prison ship crashes full of like they say it's alien bugs, don't they?

Joe:

Yeah. So something like that.

Dylan:

Yeah, because of the final, you know, right, right. And so so, but yeah, um, but I know he he does the voice in the ride, and so like that's what like that's what clicked with me. I'm like, oh, yeah, there it is, that's it. He's the one.

Joe:

That's where the yeah, that's where the voice comes from. Like, this is why he's there. Right, yeah.

Dylan:

Yeah, I think it's funny too of how the like you have the the secret alien society, like the men in black guys, like just hidden right in plain sight.

Joe:

Yeah, yeah. And there's several several thoughts of just, you know, these guys are these heroes that are um, you know, they're doing all this work and they get no credit for it. Right. And and they have to make up these stories, and they have to uh, you know, if they don't have families, they have to, you know, pull up pull away from everything that they they, you know, and that that kind of uh you know, I think that drives the story for this one too.

Dylan:

Yeah, because then like also at the end of the movie, then it has Agent K as like waking up from a coma after you know so many years.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

So that's kind of a funny a nice ending for for that character. Yeah. Yeah, the the Danny Elfman score, like in it is I think same thing, like it's good.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

I mean, everything Danny Elfman does, I've always I've always liked. Yeah. You know, it's it's hard not to.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

But like definitely, definitely not one of my favorite scores.

Joe:

Like just kind of middle of the road.

Dylan:

Right, just super middle of the road, and honestly, not very memorable. Like, I think I remember like the opening score of it so much is because I got annoyed by the dragonfly buzzing, uh, yeah, just constantly through the whole opener.

Joe:

Yeah. And and it's funny because they spent a lot of time getting that shot and like going back and forth whether they were gonna do it, and like well, they wasted their time, yeah. Yeah, yeah, because they, you know, I mean, pretty much they they did a studio shot um of the road and all the background, and then they added the the uh the dragonfly over it uh in CG. And yeah, and so like they you know, so they took a lot of time and a lot of effort into it.

Dylan:

Yeah. And uh which at that point, I guess once you have what is it? It's the sunk cost fallacy. Yeah, like once you get to the end of it, you just have to see it through at that point.

Joe:

Well, the funny thing about it is, and what you should like about it with not liking it, is at the end of the sequence he splats on the window. Honestly, the best part. Yeah, exactly.

Dylan:

Yeah. It's funny too, like when when Jay gets down into the MIB headquarters for the first time to go through like the the uh the testing and stuff, and like the the uncomfortable egg chairs, yeah, and like him pulling over the the screechy table. Yeah, and he's like, You guys want to get in on this? And they just stare at it.

Joe:

And they're just like, nah, you're crazy. But yeah, I mean that that just serves to the plot because I don't know, I um you you just see the difference. Like, first he's running after the alien, right? And obviously, Kay is like, oh man, like he just went after this uh was it Karillian or something like that, yeah, and and on foot, and so he's like, This guy can can do some stuff, you know, and he doesn't want to blow up his head right away, but he's obviously like this guy's got it.

Dylan:

You've got you've got what we're looking for, yeah, right.

Joe:

And then you see his skill set because these other guys um have this this just this um attitude of like staying within the box and this is how it is, right? And Will's like, I just need to go from point A to B. So if that means I'm gonna go get that table over there and bring it over here so I can write this test better, yeah, I'm gonna do that, you know. If it if you know, especially with his hesitation, you know, that's like the one of the best things. He hesitates on shooting what alien and he shoots the the little girl. Um, and he explains why, you know. Yeah, she's like, she has uh what is it? Uh the quantum science book. Quantum science book. That's that's she's the white girl in the middle of the ghetto. Yeah, like she's eight years old. What is she doing? You know, up at night. Like, there's just all these things are like, yeah, that's clear clearly the the uh alien.

Dylan:

After like the first scene, too, uh huh, and like we first get introduced to Jay, uh-huh, and he's running, you know, through the streets of New York after the alien. It's like it's such an interesting way to kind of introduce a character that way.

Joe:

Yeah. It I I I love it because there's such a huge contrast from you know, the illegal alien looking for the illegal alien amongst the illegal aliens, and then and then having that character, you know, at first he looks like cute, and then once he gets discovered, he goes nuts and he's like these big teeth, and and then kind of the calmness with both agents of not freaking out, but everybody else around them is shows like their their kind of wherewithal and they're seasoned. Yeah, and so it it sets him up as this like seasoned professional, totally, totally, you know, like uh one thing I noticed was you know, he he says, put up your hands and fins, you know, like it's nor a normal thing, you know, like it's just this is what we you tell him. This he has fins, we're gonna tell him to do that, you know. It's not like he hesitates or anything, and then you see this kind of like um, you know, this detective who's who's out to get the main guy, and then you know, he's out running these fat cops, which he talks about later, you know, and people are jealous of him and um just don't want to see him succeed, but he obviously has the you know the juice, right? He got what it takes, yeah. So yeah, it it it seems uh you know, it seems kind of interesting when you look at it.

Dylan:

So with the opening scene too, like how how did they how did they make that big old splat? Oh with the with the uh with the goo.

Joe:

Oh with the goo, oh yeah, there was like they used like tw they said 25 to 50 pounds of this goo that they made up. Yeah, and and it just like they made uh basically a bomb of this goo. And then they had, you know, once they were ready to explode it, you know, they moved things out of the way, right, and then just exploded it, and and it just just went nuts.

Dylan:

Wow. Because that was a that was a good shot of the alien, you know, getting getting shot by the laser gun. Yeah, and then and then just exploding into goo. Yeah, you know, and they have the have the shot where it's you know zoomed out and just shows the zoo the goo just going everywhere, yeah.

Joe:

And and it was such a a mix of like a guy in a suit, yeah, to CGI, you know, to the goo, to like mixing that all in.

Dylan:

Yeah, yeah. The the way that they also like introduced the the bug Edgar is is kind of interesting too, is the spaceship crashes into the truck, folding it in half, yeah, into the ground. Yeah. And um the the man Edgar getting sucked into the yeah, into the alien spacecraft then. And yeah, like you don't see anything that happens, but then like you see like what is pretty much the skin suit like flop out, yeah, and then kind of just like get sucked back in. Yeah. Just kind of wiggles across the ground.

Joe:

It's it's it's hilarious. It's like this big silicone, you know, body that just flops out of the dirt, you know. And yeah, I like the whole the whole approach because he's like, um, he's just this, you know, country bumpkin, and he's gonna go check out what's going on. And and you know, he's like, you know, he he just has that interaction with the alien. And yeah, I forget what he says, like, you know, he oh, the alien tells him, uh, put your weapon down, and he's like, You're gonna pry it. I don't have to cold dead.

Dylan:

Yeah, and then what what does the alien say? That is acceptable. Yes, and then just grabs him. Yep, he just got yoinked.

Joe:

Yeah, yeah. And then he has the, you know, he goes in there with like his face drooping, and yep. She's like, he's like, your face is drooping.

Dylan:

Oh yeah, and then you kind of have that kind of the like definitely like the weird 90s, like weird CGI mix of when he like stretches his face out then. Yeah, it's better.

Joe:

But it's still not, you know, the Scorpion King level of CGI. That was that was amazing, if you know anything about that.

Dylan:

See, like I guess my like my reference for like amazing CGI, yeah, would be like I would say Pirates of the Caribbean. Oh, okay. Like, like Davy Jones.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

Like because like tentacles. Yeah. Like, yeah, which you just that oh yeah, like to me, that's peak. Right. And I'm like, yeah, like the this the care that went into that.

Joe:

Scorpion King is known for having the worst CGI. Oh, see, I totally missed that. I just he has not seen it. Could you tell? Yeah. Yeah, for being universal park lovers, uh, you know, we're we're covering a lot of these movies.

Dylan:

Yeah, and it's like just like going to the parks and like being in the parks and having no idea. Yeah, what the references are the references behind it and stuff.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

What what did you think about the uh the alien giving birth in the car scene?

Joe:

Yeah, I thought that was pretty cool. Um behind the scenes. Uh they talked about how like it it it really hurt Will's back because he was on a like a uh gimbal or something to get the shot. So it was like they had the CG, but he was like actually flopping around and stuff. Like there were so many practical things that they did for that. Um just going back to even that first uh running scene. I mean, they're actually running, and then the the stunt man, uh kind of like with Jaws, um the stunt person was the actor, yeah, and they were like, you know, he was so nervous, not about the stunt, which was basically falling backwards. Uh, you know, he was on a wire, but he had he had to just fall backwards, like a you know, the hugest trust ball you can think of, right? You know, and then uh, but he was more nervous about the acting part of it than he was about the the stunt. Yeah, and then acting alongside Will Smith.

Dylan:

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Joe:

And then so like with um, you know, some of that other it was such a mix of practical and because again, going back to the 90s, you know, the one of the biggest uh at the time examples of CG was that was Terminator 2, but that was so practical as well. Yeah, and so uh back then you had to do so many practical things, uh physical things to sell the CG. Because yeah nowadays, like you're like you're selling the practical because of the CG. And you know, before it was like the uh opposite. So uh yeah, he got hurt a lot.

Dylan:

Yeah, because like I was I was just assuming that that that the the tentacle scene with Will Smith, I assumed that that was pretty much all CG.

Joe:

Yeah, no, it these days it would be, you know. Um oh what was a movie that I recently seen that was like that, where it was like the person was flopping around and you could tell it was CG, and it was just like oh, you know, I don't know if it was Harry Potter or something like that, something that was adventurous, but it was like it was just the little like you know, yeah, yeah.

Dylan:

That's a little too on the nose.

Joe:

Yeah, yeah.

Dylan:

Or he was like I felt like I also felt like with what they did with the the alien princes kind of role like storyline there, yeah. I feel like they could have like flushed it out a little bit better, yeah. Because I feel like I feel like watching it, you are not it kind of just drops you into the middle of his story, it kind of I kind of felt like.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

Because the it it picks up with the bug going and hunting him down in New York. And like the bug already knows that he's trying to go after the galaxy, yeah. And the like I guess you you don't I I would like to have more of a reason why.

Joe:

Uh-huh.

Dylan:

So I I feel like it just kind of picks up in the middle of that story more.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

And it it to me it just kind of missed something.

Joe:

Yeah. So what was missing is the actual plot because originally those two, you know, uh princes at the at the restaurant.

Dylan:

Oh, the other one was a prince too? Yeah. Oh, okay, because I thought that he was like kind of working for the city.

Joe:

Yeah, like they were they were both mutual, you know, of the same planet, right? Uh-huh. Well, originally it was supposed to be two opposing diplomats meeting to like work out things, and he was there to the bug was there to like um disrupt it, disrupt it. And see that like that would have made so much more sense. Yeah. So like that scene was um filmed with like that original dialogue, and then they went back and did all the like um subtitled dialogue with a weird alien uh you know language between. Um the dog had a different uh dialogue and everything because it was like they were it like a lot of these scenes were driving all of this. The scene where um they're looking up at the at the uh teleprompter or whatever, yeah, and they show the the big ship driving and all that. Well, originally it was gonna be this thing where it was two ships and the the two opposing, and they were shooting at the earth together, like some weird, like like yeah, some reason they had to shoot at Earth for some reason, and it was just like they decided not to go with that, and so they went all the way back to that whole thing, changed the plot, and then moved it along. So, yeah, it it's okay. So, yeah, so you're right, it it there was something there that just was missing, yeah.

Dylan:

Cause like even the way you just described that, like what would have just made so much more sense in like the plot of the story.

Joe:

Yeah. Yeah.

Dylan:

And it it yeah, it definitely would have helped drive the the story along better.

Joe:

I've never read the comic book, but I know it was based on a comic book.

Dylan:

Oh, really? Yeah. Oh, that's that yeah. See, and I bet like pulling it out of the comic book like that too, like I bet that probably would have also just gone over the plot line so much better and been more coherent.

Joe:

Yeah, I I mean there's a lot of references to where you know they get their news from the tabloids.

Dylan:

Yeah. And yeah, and like getting the news from the tabloids is is like such a funny take on that because like we look at that. And just like a bunch of gossip rags. Right. And they're like, oh no, this is our news. Yeah, this is our news.

Joe:

Like this is actually happening. Right. Like it it's like one of those things where like the most far-fetched thing that you can think of is is for them the most obvious thing. Yeah. You know? And and so like they're living that life of being, you know, seeing these aliens, knowing all these people and and knowing what's going on. And so then um, but yeah, it was it was based on a comic book. And uh Tommy Lee actually signed on because he knew the comic book. He didn't even oh really, yeah, he didn't even see the script and he was like, I'll do it because he knew. Oh, that's cool. Yeah, yeah, it's kind of he had faith. Yeah, he did, he did, and you know, having Steven Spielberg that attached to a movie helped too.

Dylan:

Right, right, because like definitely going forward, like you know, Jaws in '75 and then this in '97, like Steven Spielberg also had several movies in between there. He he already had the whole studio behind him.

Joe:

Yeah. There's just so many, you know, movies in the future we'll cover that he had to do with, but being an executive producer, he could just, you know, call in the favors. Right. Um, you know, there was there's the uh again, like the the screens that are in the uh the uh headquarters, uh they had just um they had done did an original run or a first run of the movie, yeah, and people didn't recognize people on screen, so they had to go back and change who was on there. And some some guy tied with a uh talent agency, yeah uh had just signed Sylvester Stallone, so they got him and they got a bunch of other stars that people would know internationally, right, rather than local news people or people only, you know, in America that right, you know, so right, because it's that's definitely one of those things that it's like you know, on a screen of what is it, 12?

Dylan:

I think I recognized two of them. Yeah, yeah. And like, you know, it's definitely one of those things that it's like if you're if you know you're like, oh, that's a good shot. Yeah, but then it's like if not a little bit more of you know where I'm coming from, I'm just like, look at all those people.

Joe:

Yeah, right. And and that whole scene uh is pretty cool because there's so much mix of CGI and practical.

Dylan:

For when for when like they first kind of come down like the elevator and and walk out into the room, like that was definitely a worthwhile mix of CGI and you know, actual um like practical stuff too. Yeah, like it was kind of the it was done very tastefully and done very well meshing it all together on that one.

Joe:

Yeah, they had they only had a you know a certain budget, so they could only build so many suits or aliens and things like that. So then they filled it out with CGI, but um one of the actors that's in that scene is the guy who would go on to play Mini Me and the uh uh what do you call it? Uh Austin Powers movie. Oh, really? Yeah. Uh and so like there's just tons of different actors that are in there that like that that you don't know are there, right? You know, um, but uh with the with the practical effects, um Rick Baker was the main uh you know effects guy. Yeah. And he did thriller, he did a lot of 80s movies. Um gotcha. He's he's like one of the kings of um makeup effects, artist effects. Um we'll probably find some other movies that he's part of.

Dylan:

Yeah. Yeah, it would definitely be interesting, like being able to kind of pick that out and see what else he's in. But yeah, kind of like what you were saying, kind of at the at the at the beginning there, of like the the music of it, like you know, and the music video being on MTV. MTV, thank you. I was like, what do you call it? Like that young yeah, like with it being on MTV, like that you like because people used to just have MTV just playing, yeah, like all the time.

Joe:

It was yeah, you you got home from school, you threw on MTV. Yeah, I mean, there's a point where like they would do total requests live, and like they would shoot show the newest videos, and you could call in and request a video, and like or or vote for videos, and that would get you know an MTV award, and oh you know, so it was like it all played off of itself, yeah. And you know, with uh again with with Will Smith and having that success from the Fresh Prince and all that was going on, and he was just starting to be in action sta.

Dylan:

Yeah, it like it definitely but it definitely just pushed the whole movie like just deeper into its kind of pulp culture oh yeah roots there than yeah, it took over the summer, let's put it that way. Yeah, at least I felt like you know, thinking back on it, it was like yeah, it was uh yeah. You couldn't couldn't turn around without running running into it, yeah.

Joe:

And they you know, nobody knew like how how successful this was gonna be or not, you know. I mean you you obviously line all your actors up and go, okay, this person's talented, this person's talented. We have Spielberg, we have you know Barry's son. Right, here's our star study cast, yeah, and let's see what happens, and yeah, you know.

Dylan:

Um what did okay, what did you think about the scene in the morgue where Will Smith thought that the girl was being all like provocative about it?

Joe:

Oh, right, is that when she was like, you really need to take a look at this and that part or yeah, yeah, and like where he's like totally just reading it wrong, right?

Dylan:

Yeah, and like I don't know, to me, like watching it, I'm like cringe, yeah, like you know, because I'm I don't know, I've just watched it and I'm like like he should I guess like him in his role should know better, yeah. And like you know, he's not thinking with his head, yeah, at that point, yeah, but I think how like okay, how much of that was in the writing versus how much of that was like Will Smith kind of wanting to kind of spoof that?

Joe:

Yeah, I don't I as far as that scene, I don't know, but I know that he wrote the uh the part where in the in the first scene when they're running around and he falls into the bus and he talks about uh you know uh it's random black people. It's random black people in New York, yeah. That was totally him. He wrote that and and he just you know, I guess it was over a a break and uh lunch break or something, and he was talking about it with people who was like, What if we did this? And so we tried it and it worked, and I thought it was funny, and for the time it's like you know, like that's the funny part, yeah. So I don't know if that was something they tried and they thought it was funny. Um, but obviously it's one of those scenes that hasn't aged well. It doesn't age well, yeah.

Dylan:

Yeah, yeah, but like just like you you kind of touched on, just sitting there watching it, it's like you just kind of yeah, you just kind of grins into your chair.

Joe:

Like well, the funny thing, and what I think what I think makes it funny is that even the alien is like, come on, dude. Like you can see his face like raw, all right. If he could roll his eyes, he would. Yeah, yeah. It just he's just like, yeah. So I think I think part of that is playing off of like the the whole um character arc of him growing as a as a agent and learning uh how to be uh you know more serious and more professional and things like that.

Dylan:

Taking his job seriously, yeah.

Joe:

I think it's it's kind of funny that at the beginning he makes fun of Kay, uh the way he you know describes how some event had just happened and you know uh in the first scene with with uh you know Edgar's wife. Right. And he makes he's like, that's the best you can come up with, and and all that. And then and then like you know, a couple scenes later, it's like in days later, and he's trying to copy him, he can't remember the exact words. Yeah.

Dylan:

Because what is what is he's trying to talk about, like the the sun sunbeams refracting off of a gas cloud of and like you know, obviously I'm telling it as good as Rick Smith right there, right? Yeah, but yeah, like that callback though is is funny, and like I would not have picked up on that if you didn't point that out while we were watching it. Yeah, like my brain would not have connected the two. Yeah, so that it just that's a funny, funny moment right there.

Joe:

Yeah, and there's some payoffs like that that are so subtle that you know you miss them if you blink, but right, right, yeah.

Dylan:

I like I thought the scene in the morgue too, like of when they're like autopsying the the kind of the the fake body, uh-huh, and like his face opens up to the side and yeah, reveals the little guy. Like, I thought that was a cool scene though, and that that definitely was a good payoff.

Joe:

Yeah, yeah. It's the crazy thing about that. So I learned this from the guy who does uh who originally uh Adam Savage. Um originally did um the Mythbusters and all that. Um so for the for the uh um laser, the um the nebulizer? Yeah, the nebulizer. Nebulizer?

Dylan:

No, neuralizer.

Joe:

Neuralizer, yeah. For the neuralizer, they had two sizes, and one of them was like a huge, like, like you know, like two-handed contraption, like a whole like foot, uh huge contraption, oh man, so that they could have the L L C D screen on it, um, and have it functioning and all that. Because back then parts weren't that small, right? So chunky. Yeah, so they to to do close-ups, they filmed a huge, like a bigger version of it. Oh and then when you had it, you know, when Tommy Lee was pointing it or or whatever, right? It was a smaller one that had limited function. Oh, that's interesting. And so with the alien, with that alien, it was an eight-foot uh alien. Really? They they kind of filmed with the screens and like all that stuff to like, you know, to get that shot. Wow. Yeah, because they had him moving and all that kind of stuff. And in order to do that, you need the hydraulics, you need the you know, the stuff. So wow, okay. And again, with Rick Baker, he's a practical effects guy, so it's like you're you're gonna get movement, you're gonna get, you know, right.

Dylan:

You're you're gonna get the life out of it.

Joe:

Yeah, and not to be uh, you know, to mention honorable mention, the worm guys, yeah, they were all practical puppets, and there was like, you know, for for each each each puppet, there was a voice, and and so they made them give give them personalities and things like that, but they were all practical. And and you know, when they're when they're leaving their CGI, but when they're when they're in that place, kind of like in the ride, they they're all moving with puppetry and that's cool. Yeah.

Dylan:

So yeah, when they're when they're leaving with their marble seven seven packs of marble armor. So so what did you think about like the whole like plot line of the galaxy being on the collar or on Orion's belt?

Joe:

Yeah, man, I don't know. Um it it's it's a plot, you know. Yeah, uh, it wasn't like it was kind of cool the first viewing, but I after you watch it, you're just kind of like, yeah, it makes sense, you know. Does it make sense though? Yeah, I don't know.

Dylan:

There were some things that were not just it just doesn't line up well, and I feel like that really hinders kind of your viewing experience of it. Yeah, like you're missing a lot of plot beats that set up ones down the road, and so it's like going through it, you're like, this is happening, why is this happening? Yeah, oh the galaxy is on Orion's belt.

Joe:

Uh-huh.

Dylan:

Well, like, we don't we don't understand what that means. What's you know, what's the idea of the galaxy? You know, why why is it there? Yeah, why is it seemingly being protected, right? Kept under watch.

Joe:

I had a laugh at the end because spoiler alert, um the aliens are playing marbles, marbles with it, right? And I'm like, was that the whole plot? Right.

Dylan:

Like you're going to destroy the you know, the earth to get your marble back, yeah. But is that is that your favorite marble? Right. Like, did do you win all the tournaments with that marble?

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

So it's just a little like right, yeah. And then, like, you know, dumping it into the bag with all the other marbles of all the other galaxies, and like, you know, is that trying to be symbolic of like is there a deeper meaning?

Joe:

Like right, we're all meaningless and and we're in this marble galaxy, and right, getting rolled around and yeah, but yeah, like it just to me it just did not line up.

Dylan:

And I think if they that that really makes me want to go kind of check out the comics now, yeah, yeah. And like kind of see, oh okay, like that was supposed to be right more of storyline for it.

Joe:

Yeah. And I and I wonder if that was why um they they tried to reboot it recently. Like they basically took the Thor Ragnarok people and put them in the suits. Yeah. And uh it's like I forget what it's called, like M IB International or something. Um but but yeah, they they try to reboot it. And I and I would because I would even think like, let's look at the comics, how faithful can you be? Like, even if it wasn't our rating, like how how could you make it more because I think about the X Files and the potential that that could have with Men in Black and how uh you know the sh that show explored so many sci-fi things, like you know, just so many other things. And like if you just slapped a men in black label on it, how cool that would be.

Dylan:

Yeah, you know, yeah, because you like you could even take that and have it like, you know, like men in black cold files, right? Where they're like trying to go back on previous things and get stuff figured out. Yeah. You could easily have like a men in black like TV show of where they're you know almost spoofing off of like current, you know, cop and detective police TV shows. Yeah.

Joe:

I like the cold files thing. If if anybody's listening, that would be a good idea. Because I I you know there's that show Cold Files, and if you had that meet X Files and uh you explored all that, it would it would be really cool, how how far you could go with it and how how cool it could be to uncover some things, you know. And I love like just dropping some lines about how you know when when they're going through the tunnel and and Tommy Lee is singing Elvis, and how he's like, you know, Elvis, you know, he's like, he's dead. He's like, no, he's not, he just went home. He just went home. Yeah, that's a good throw in. Yeah. Um yeah, just acknowledging certain things like that. Like even his his what was a fourth grade teacher or something. Yeah. I swore she was an alien, right?

Dylan:

And like, you know, like let you know, like if we if you were to do a TV series, like that's so I feel like it's easy to like take that and be like, okay, we go to the file, you know, go to that file on her because kind of by the way they were acting, it seemed like they had already resolved that yeah situation, whatever was going on with that, yeah, and like going back into it and like kind of just going through it and what men in black did to resolve that.

Joe:

And and kind of where uh they show how they're monitoring people, they're monitoring aliens, and like the you know, well, you have the illegal alien, but then you have that couple that's trying to, you know, get it get out of town.

Dylan:

That they're they're allowed to be in Manhattan, but then yeah, you know, trying to leave Manhattan for for the pregnant wife.

Joe:

Yeah, and so it's it's there's so many elements that could be explored more than what was.

Dylan:

Right. Right. Well, what what did you think of for like rewatch value?

Joe:

Um, you know, I put it in that category of like if it's on, you know, I might leave it on in the background and like if I'm if I'm putting some dishes away, and you know, just having having one of those kind of you know the lines already. Right. Because it it's such, like I said, it's such a pop culture thing that it's always on cable, um, or it, you know, it's streaming somewhere, or and so um, yeah, it's one of those comfortable rewatches, right? Like I don't know that I would, you know, kind of like Lord of the Rings, like sit down and and do a uh MIB marathon or something like that, but yeah, because how many MIB movies are there? Um with Tommy Lee, I think it's three, and then there's that international one, yeah.

Dylan:

Wait, so because they definitely set up the first one as that was going to be his one and only, didn't they?

Joe:

Right, yeah. So that they originally wanted to have the Linda Florentino character continue, yeah, but there was some stuff behind the scenes that didn't, you know, they didn't want that to happen. Okay. And so because of the you know, it was kind of like the having the Abbott and Costello comedy pair, right? They were like the pairing of Tommy Lee and Will Smith is amazing, like let's not change it. Like they didn't know what they were getting into when they started, and so it was like the it was just overwhelming until they decided okay, we're gonna find a reason in part two to bring them back, and we're gonna find a reason in part three to bring them back, and so yeah, because they neuralize his character. Uh-huh. Yeah. We'll have to watch part two.

Dylan:

Oh boy.

Joe:

Yeah, it's kind of like one of those things where like uh those soap operas are whatever, like, you know, the person dies and like how you bring them back. Yeah, you know, I was left the whole time, you know. Right. But you went through a you know, like a chopping machine. Yeah, yeah, and they put you back together.

Dylan:

You crashed into the ocean and we watched your body float away.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

How were you alive?

Joe:

Yeah. We saw you get eaten by a giant shark.

Dylan:

On a rewatch scale, like out of 10, what would you rate it?

Joe:

Rewatch scale, I think like a 6.5. 6.5, yeah. Which is not terrible to me.

Dylan:

Yeah, like definitely like on a first-time first-time watcher, like I don't know, I would rate it probably a three or a four to be honest. Like, yeah, I really truly don't have an interest in sitting down and really watching it again.

Joe:

Uh-huh.

Dylan:

Like yeah, the the back and forth between Tommy Lee and Will Smith, like great. Yeah, it was hilarious.

Joe:

Yeah.

Dylan:

And it honestly truthfully had like a lot more comedy and humor in it than I was expecting it to.

Joe:

Oh, really?

Dylan:

And um, so you know, that was a good surprise there, but like I feel like with how broken the the plot of it is, yeah, it's I felt kind of hard to kind of keep engaged and like follow along.

Joe:

Uh-huh.

Dylan:

And like, you know, I'm kind of guilty of like looking away from a movie and then, you know, tuning it out and then going back into it and be like, oh, I'm lost now because that, you know, five minutes just passed, and I guess there was something important in there. Right. Like, I got that feeling watching Men in Black, and I like tried to sit there and stay, stay in tune with it, yeah. You know, as best as I could. Uh-huh. But like, I don't know. Would you say that it's like a must watch of the 90s blockbusters?

Joe:

I mean, it's definitely on the list. Um think so. I guess I guess what else would be on that list is really what the question is. Because uh you would know better than I. I'll I'll say this. Uh I haven't seen Independence Day. Yeah. Yeah. Because I just it just never appealed to me. Yeah. And and so with Men in Black, I gave it a chance. And I think with the overall cast of of everybody, especially um Edgar's Edgar's wife and being so dry humor and just playing that part, you know. Yeah, there's a lot of good. I think I think there's a lot of good, and then there's some bad. And and I think like, yeah, as you bring it up, just the the morgue scenes, some of them are just like, what? What is this? You know, um the bug guy, or not the bug guy, but when the when Edgar goes after the guy at the morgue, um the he's the guy who like manages the morgue, uh, and he takes him out because he's like killing the bugs. That was a little to me. Yeah, yeah.

Dylan:

Ooh, and the bugs cross across the counter. We could have done without that.

Joe:

Yeah. So but my 90s movies are like Pulp Fiction and things like that. Yeah. Yeah. Matrix is definitely on the list.

Dylan:

Um yeah, I think you kind of yelled at me a little bit for not having watched The Matrix before. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know. All the good fun. Yeah.

Joe:

We'll get there. We'll get there. Well, thank you guys for listening to the Have You Seen podcast. We encourage you to uh send any movie suggestions that you want us to uh watch, and we will give you a review on it.

Dylan:

Yeah, definitely. And don't forget to uh drop down into the socials and and check the links down in the description and go follow on all the socials.

Joe:

And before you hesitate at any suggestions, just realize that Dylan has not seen a lot of movies.

Dylan:

Yep, that's very true. Well, I've been Dylan. That's been Joe. Hi.

Joe:

Now go over to Bloomingdales, get yourself something to wear. Get a home makeover because dang.

Dylan:

We hope you enjoyed this episode. But if you didn't, don't worry. Just like run at it here, this little red light, and you loved it. Perfect.